Author: Saintmort

This week, Patreon voted, and the choice is Shanice’s 1992 hit “I Love Your Smile”—a song that somehow escaped producer Matt Kelly’s radar! We dig into the early start of Pittsburgh’s own Shanice, whose incredible talent led her to a massive Top 5 single that had everyone “doo-doo-dooing” along. While she had a few follow-up hits, none reached the same iconic status as her breakout track. Join us as we dive into the charm, charisma, and sheer joy that made “I Love Your Smile” unforgettable and ask the big question: did Shanice deserve more?

For some people, Christmas season starts on November 1st, which is legitimately crazy but who are we to yuck Matt’s yum? In honor of the coziest time of year when family is never far, we get familiar with 1988’s guy-talks-to-mannequins classic PIN! This was first discussed in our Reddit Horror Club days, and it was high time it made an appearance on HMN. It’s got enough sleaze to keep even Kyle happy, and Scott went the extra mile and read the book it was adapted from for this episode, so prepare for a double dose of childhood trauma. It’s doctor’s orders!

If you’re like me, the first time you heard The Champs’ “Tequila” was probably when Pee-wee Herman danced on a bar in the 1985 film Pee-wee’s Big Adventure. This week’s guest, Tommy Avallone, is a die-hard cinephile and prolific documentary filmmaker. His latest documentary The House From... is currently streaming on Fubo and Ryan Reynolds’ Maximum Effort channel. Since Pee-wee’s house from the iconic Tim Burton movie is heavily featured, we thought now was the perfect time to discuss this single-word hit song!

Happy Halloween, everybody! As in tradition at Horror Movie Night, we are discussing a kid-friendly horror movie with 2009’s incredible stop-motion CORALINE. Beyond the wonderful story and truly creepy Other Mother, the technical prowess on display throughout this movie is just untouchable. Is this a perfect spooky season offering for the whole family? Let’s use our button eyes to see!

Would you believe the novelty song “The Purple People Eater” was a number 1 hit? Did you know that 30 years after its release, a movie was made based on the song? And here’s something even crazier: songwriter and vocalist Sheb Wooley recorded a stock audio scream that’s been used in thousands of films and TV shows! It’s Halloween at One Hit Thunder, and we’re diving into Mr. Wooley’s bizarre and fascinating career!

It’s almost Halloween, and it’s been a while since we discussed a Michael Myers movie, so why not tackle 1981’s divisive sequel HALLOWEEN II? This fever dream (literally) of a slasher has some fun kills, Donald Pleasance doing the most, and the introduction of the head-scratching explanation that Laurie is actually Michael’s baby sister from the beginning of the first movie. We never really get to move past that in the rest of the Halloween franchise, so we might as well get into on this week’s episode. Also, look at how red the blood is in this one!

This week, we’re joined by Mark Popeney, one half of the new podcast Nevermind the Music. With his background as a music professor, Mark takes us through the strange and often challenging journey of the Squirrel Nut Zippers, who unexpectedly scored an Alternative Radio hit with their Cab Calloway-inspired song “Hell.” Though lumped into the ’90s swing revival, there was something that made them stand out, and this week, we try to pinpoint exactly what that was!

It’s finally happened… Scott’s lost his head and has run off with the Pickety Witch to SLEEPY HOLLOW (1999)! Celebrating 25 years of sort-of-kid-friendly head trauma, this delightful film is full of blood, humor, and a very problematic cast and director (not you, Christina Ricci, we still love you). Meet us at the Tree of the Dead and we’ll promise not to chew off your tongues when we smooch…

One of our most prolific podcast guests, Johnny Yetsconish, is back with one of the most iconic rap songs of the ’90s: Skee-Lo’s 1995 hit single “I Wish.” In the thick of gangsta rap, a 19-year-old Skee-Lo took the radio by storm with a G-rated rap song about being a “little bit taller” and dreaming of popularity and success with the ladies. This anthem of a hopeless romantic has left a lasting impact not just on the three of us, but on the hip-hop community as a whole. Unfortunately, due to a bad contract with a shady record label, Skee-Lo retired from music at the peak of his popularity. This week, we listen to his music and decide if we WISH he had stuck around longer. Join us as we dive into the story behind the song that made everyone wish they were a baller.

We were honored to have Peter Filardi on the podcast who wrote this week’s movie THE CRAFT! While this episode is less traditional than the normal episode, Peter gives us fascinating insight on things like the originally intended ending, what it was like to hand off the script to director Andrew Fleming and his newfound love of directing!

If you’ve ever seen an attractive woman appear in a movie or TV show, chances are you’re familiar with Yello’s iconic song “Oh Yeah.” This quirky, experimental band stumbled into international fame thanks to well-placed film features, yet never managed to replicate its success with another hit. This week, since Patreon voted for it, Matt and I ask: did this shockingly prolific group even want another hit?

It’s finally October, the best month of the year! How are we kicking things off, by watching a lot of gun violence, of course! That’s right, we’re discussing 2014’s THE GUEST, which is the most Cannon Films movie that wasn’t actually made by Cannon Films. Sure, there’s a lot of guns, but there’s also a huge Halloween 3 nod in the final act so it definitely qualifies as HMN fodder. Welcome to spooky season, never trust Dan Stevens with your Fireball.

Mike Soboslai is back again with his BIGGEST song yet. Mr. Big’s campfire sing-along ballad “To Be With You” was a surprise hit in 1992, especially as the grunge era was taking hold. This infectious tune was dramatically different from the band’s usual intricate hard rock style, showcasing a softer side that few saw coming. Known for their technical prowess and complex compositions, Mr. Big’s other fan favorites include the blistering “Green-Tinted Sixties Mind” and the shred-heavy “Addicted to That Rush.” Despite never recapturing their U.S. success, Mr. Big became (and remained) HUGE in Japan. Join us as we explore the band’s career and see if we’ve been missing out here in the States. And yes, we’ll even touch on their more… uniquely titled tracks like “Daddy, Brother, Lover, Little Boy.”

Rounding out Listener Submitted Month is an infamous piece of British television history that was almost lost to time until some kind souls brought Mr. Pipes’ broadcast seance back from the bin and released 1992’s BBC switcharoo GHOSTWATCH once more! Your always-studious hosts take you through the planning and execution of television’s greatest illusion (sorry David Copperfield), explaining why this tv movie takes the gold when it came to suspending disbelief upon its original airing. Prepare your best Cockney accent as we travel to foggy Londontown on this week’s episode, guv’ner!

In this fun-filled episode, hosts Chris and Matt are joined by draft regulars Tony Hartman and Matthew Milligan, along with first-time drafter Johnny Yetsconish, for the highly anticipated 2004 albums fantasy auction draft. The competition heats up as the guys battle it out for the best albums from a year packed with iconic releases by artists like Green Day, The Streets, The Killers, Björk, Brian Wilson, Gwen Stefani, Scissor Sisters, and more. With plenty of spirited banter, strategic picks, and a few surprises, this episode is a must-listen for anyone who loves great music and a bit of friendly rivalry!

We’re heating things up this Listener Submitted Month with a sexy slice of succubus – the absolute nuts NIGHT ANGEL (1990)! When Lilith is awoken from her millenia-long dirt nap, her first inclination is to get her freak on… and then make the cover of the most popular fashion mag in LA. Thus begins her reign of sticky terror and even baby-faced Doug Jones isn’t safe from her horniness. Prepare to be fearoused this week on Horror Movie Night!

Patreon voted for us to dive into the group Swing Out Sister and their aptly named breakout hit, “Breakout.” Written by lead singer Corinne Drewery while recovering from a fractured skull, the song emerged during a stressful period when the band was worried about being dropped from their label. Despite being prolific and never slowing down, they were never able to capture another hit on US radio. The band, known for their distinctive blend of jazz, pop, and sophisticated production, has maintained a loyal fan base and continues to release music that resonates deeply with listeners. Join us this week as we explore their career, from their early days to their continued evolution, and decide if Swing Out Sister’s catalog deserves way more of your attention.

Listener Submitted Month continues with some delightfully weird giant bug horror, 1987’s confusingly-titled BLUE MONKEY! If you’re in the mood for mantis kills and hapless entomologists, this one’s for you. It’s also got a group of sick children that really help move the plot along, for better or worse. Get sick with us on this week’s episode of Horror Movie Night!

This week, we’re taking a little turn on the catwalk with special guest PJ Caruso as we dive into the early ’90s phenomenon that is Right Said Fred’s “I’m Too Sexy.” PJ decided it had been too long since we last covered a truly novelty track, and this one tops the charts in that category. It’s almost baffling that we have to say this, but if you’re listening in the UK, you already know that Right Said Fred is far from a one-hit wonder in their home country. The history of Right Said Fred is a  rollercoaster full of twists, turns, and some surprisingly dark moments. Join us to find out if Right Said Fred is too sexy for this podcast!

It’s September so you know what that means… Well, maybe you don’t, so let us just go ahead and tell you it’s LISTENER SUBMITTED MONTH YALL and we’re kicking it off with something truly ridiculous – 1982’s Roger Corman Alien ripoff FORBIDDEN WORLD! What better way to get the party started than to take our sexy spaceship to a sexy desert planet where we do sexy things with the sexy ladies while sexy space clarinet plays sexily? Oh, and everyone is getting eviscerated and/or turned into goop by a xenomorph from Temu. It’s all very sexy, you’ll see.

We’ve covered Deion Sanders and Eddie Murphy on the podcast, but there’s still a treasure trove of celebrities turned musicians to discuss. However, the case of Bruce Willis is extra strange. A year before Die Hard transformed him from a TV star to a full-blown movie star, he released the album The Return of Bruno, featuring the Top 10 hit “Respect Yourself.” This album of mostly cover songs was released on Motown Records and received very modest reviews from critics. But will Bruce Willis get modest reviews from the harsh critics of One Hit Thunder? Listen and find out if Bruce can earn our respect in the world of music.

Guilt dragging you down? Feeling a bit buried in the day to day? Dying to visit Paris? Then come along as we descend into the Catacombs in search of redemption with 2014’s AS ABOVE SO BELOW. While we don’t do a ton of found footage on the show, this one works more often than most of its peers, likely due to the fact that it had an actual script instead of a bunch of non-actors running around swearing at each other. It also has some great Hell imagery you might not expect from a low-budget FF entry. Let’s dig deep and face our demons together this week on Horror Movie Night!

Matt really let this one slide for no other reason than it’s one of his favorite songs, but there’s a pretty good chance you don’t know “The Whole of the Moon” by The Waterboys. In this episode of One Hit Thunder, we dive into this overlooked gem from 1985. Matt discovered the song through a Netflix Christmas movie, while our guest Paul Menotiades heard it through a friend, and for both of them, it left a huge impact. We explore the rich history of The Waterboys, a band led by Mike Scott known for their unique blend of rock and Celtic music, and discuss how “The Whole of the Moon” reached its peak position on the alternative charts in 2019. Join us for a passionate episode celebrating a song that has stood the test of time and continues to resonate with new generations of listeners.

School is back in session and boy does it suck! Our blood pressure is through the roof, do you know any way we could blow off some steam? Ok ok, enough vampire puns – we’re discussing Tommy Lee Wallace’s delightfully fun FRIGHT NIGHT PART II (1988) and just can’t believe how little love this movie gets. Hopefully our appreciation for it rubs off on you and resurrects your desire to give it another viewing. And if it doesn’t, well, guess we’ll have to eat these roses all ourselves…

With the 25th anniversary of Jimmie’s Chicken Shack’s album Bring Your Own Stereo upon us, we’re diving into their eclectic catalog, spotlighting their 1999 single “Do Right.” Known for running the full gamut of musical styles—sometimes to the point where it might be too much—the band’s versatility is both a strength and a challenge. Depending on your perspective, Jimmie’s Chicken Shack might be a one-hit wonder, a two-hit wonder, or a no-hit wonder. Join us this week as we explore what they did right and what they did wrong.

On the eve of a new Alien sequel, we decide to check in on the franchise’s first financial bomb, 1992’s ALIEN3. Matt might have watched the nearly 2 hour theatrical cut, but Scott and Kyle went big with the “assembly cut” which comes out to a whopping 145 minute runtime and we can all safely say that neither had any reason for running longer than a tight 90. While this film is incredibly divisive amongst Alien fans, none of us have a xenodog in the fight, so we can be a bit more even-keeled in our review of a beautifully-shot but somewhat underwhelming scifi horror. Let’s get spaced!

This week, Gene the Werewolf frontman Jon Belan joins us to dive into Nicolette Larson’s 1978 hit “Lotta Love.” As a young dreamer, Larson headed to San Francisco, where her talent quickly caught the attention of noteworthy artists, leading to collaborations with legends like Neil Young. As luck would have it, she discovered “Lotta Love” on a demo tape lying on the floor of Neil’s car. Her voice paired with his song turned it into a hit. While it’s easy to dismiss “Lotta Love” as just a minor hit from a decent singer, we suggest you dig a little deeper. Larson’s career is rich with celebrity interactions, featuring names like Andrew Gold and even Weird Al Yankovic. So, join us this week as we give Nicolette Larson a lotta love!

We’ll admit, there are a lot of pointless and unnecessary remakes in the world. We will also admit that we’re not particularly fond of the zombie genre to begin with, but all that said, we can ALSO admit that Tom Savini’s NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD (1990) is pretty damn good! Beyond some of the specific changes made to the storyline, this seems like a pretty standard, run-of-the-mill remake. While it IS that, it’s also got a ton of interesting history to be discussed, which we dig into in this episode. Did you catch the gravedigging joke there? Just wanted to make sure.

Patreon voted for this, so we’re diving deep into the world of weed and hip-hop with Luniz (yes, their name is pronounced “Loonies”) and their 1995 hit “I Got 5 On It.” Both Matt and I were blown away by just how massive this song was when it dropped—contrary to what you might think, it was already a Top 10 hit long before it was resurrected by Jordan Peele’s movie Us. And let’s not forget, Luniz boasts the most insane logo we’ve ever seen—seriously, it’s GROSS and hilarious. Join us as we explore the highs (and lows) of Luniz’s career and decide if they had more to offer or if “I Got 5 On It” was their one big hit that went up in smoke faster than a well-lit joint.

Did you know that there’s more lurking in the briny deep than killer fish, octopi and alien crustaceans? Sometimes, there’s also a seaside convent hiding demonic secrets and a lot of bad ADR, as exemplified by 1994’s DARK WATERS. In a turn of events which surprised no one, Scott picked this Lovecraftian nunsploitation fever dream, replete with odd dialogue, chum-eating weirdos and an incredibly convoluted storyline. All that to say, it’s perfect for the show!