Half in the Bag: Malignant

Jay is not much better this time, though...

Manuel Johnen

After "Escape from New York", "The Blob", "Event Horizon" and this, I now know not to trust Mike "Drinker of beers" Stoklasa, when it comes to his assessment of genre movies...

Manuel Johnen

Misleading trailer, appears to start out as a serious genre film, and devolves into chaos by the third act... Did James Wan rip off the Mike Stoklasa masterpiece The Long Walk Home??

bertsy

Watched both Malignant and Basket Case after this. Basket Case is great.

ALEXANDER MESKO

"Let's be respectful of the material."- Mike Stoklasa The most shocking quote from RLM in years.

Austin Shippy

Just finished this, and holy shit you guys were right! It's completely ridiculous. The acting in that opening scene and the rest of the film, but particularly that opening scene.... was so bad it had to be intentional. I think Mike is right, and we as fans, need to make this Kuato's prequel movie. James Wan is too modern and it doesn't gel.

AllGoodNamesRGone

How they can call this “the next The Room” while simultaneously giving Censor rave reviews is beyond me. This movie is everything Censor wanted to be. 80s horror schlock at its finest.

This movie was the best horror-comedy I have ever come across with a big budget production. Strike that.. Sharknado 3 went to space but that could be considered a different genre altogether. So strike that too.

Amrith

What?

Amrith

But Mike.... Kuato-Bagul isn't a conjoined twin, it's a parasitic twin. The movie explains the very important science so immaculately, LOL. Anyway, I usually am much closer to Jay in my movie tastes but i'm more with Mike on this one. I didn't get the impression the hilarity is intentional. Still, it's worth a watch, if only for the bizarreness of it all.

schopi

Many such cases.

Rhea

Well, the character(s) could be a chimera. I mean, if you wanted to talk about scientific realism in a James Wan horror flick…

Katy

My wife, who got me this patreon subscription as a gift, wants me to point out that fraternal twins can't be conjoined!

Yngwie Tarantino

I haven't seen it, but from this review it sounds as if James Wan is trying to create a horror icon for the kids, toys and all.

Juan Calvo

Besides the creepy body horror, what part felt the same category as schlock factory Troma? I mean the tamest death in any recent Troma film is like a dude getting a hand shoved violently up his ass then out through his mouth then “three stooges” poked through his eyes. Or “the Kaufman”.

Shempin Jack Flash

This is such a treasure, it's like a drastically over funded episode of tales from the darkside?

JOYCE ABBOTT

Great episode. Jay's perspective and enthusiasm for horror is pure gold. Sold me on seeing it with the Freddy Got Fingered reference. Sounds like James Wan's Gremlin's 2 genre exit. Also, can we please get a supercut of all of Mike's movie scene pitches? They're brilliant!

Darren Broadbent

Do you know who else spoke through a medium? Dave Bowman in 2010: The Year We Make Contact. I don't know if Bowman in 2010 counts as a paranormal being, but after he was transformed into the star child, with the help of the spiritual machine, he was able to transcend time and space, and appear in the TV of his ex-wife to say goodbye to her. Sounds kinda corny, but the scene comes off pretty creepy, not least because Bowman had retained some memory of his former self, but was something entirely new that looked like Bowman. I don't know, somehow the whole 'mankind ascending to godhood' theme of these movies is unconvincing. But the visual and audible story-telling is stunning.

Marvin Falz

And...you've sold me.

Lisa

I’m glad I saw this episode before I saw the movie. Wow that twist was insanity. As soon as you showed the first clip without discussing it in detail I already could tell it sounded and looked dumb lol

C.R.

I would describe this as kind of being a cross between Basket Case and Brian De Palma's "Sisters" with Margot Kidder.

Michael Parker

Mike - unfortunately, not every hospital scene can be as good as Star Trek IV’s.

andrew

The doctor saying “who is this?” having to go back to her wall of records to jog her memory about a past case and that featured a creepy static voice after the opener that shows an all out bloodbath she had to use a gun for made me laugh so hard. Oh, THAT kid.

Kim Luu

Not with that attitude. Start building!

Christopher Murrie

As someone from Seattle, I really wish I could report that we had more Frankenstein-spooky castles along the water but unfortunately we don't.

Reid Josephson

Yes, pretty please!

Katy

The beginning of the movie reminded me of Garth Marenghi's Darkplace. Loved the third act. One of the funniest movies I've seen in ages.

As usual, enjoyed the biting commentary and confusion about the tone. I wish either Mike or Jay addressed the elephant in the plot, who the hell attacked the main character during the initial attack scene. Was that supposed to be all in her head? Sits alongside the radio transmission plot hole.

I got to say, I think RLM sold me on this movie. Just listening to Mike and Jay's bewilderment of James Wan's intentions and the plot sounds kind of insane. I miss that in movies nowadays. I want that 80s Italian horror film kind of vibe even if it's a little bit.

AllGoodNamesRGone

I hope Jay gets Mike and Rich to watch Basket Case for a BOTW Spotlight Episode.

Andrew Proue

Not gonna lie: Often enough a new HitB was the sole reason for me to watch a movie in the first place - just so I could finally listen to our favourite hackfrauds talking about it... :p

ISLE of FILM

I legitimately loved this stupid, stupid, dumb, chaotic fucking movie. The opening scene at the laboratory of Dr. Weird hooked me immediately and I was so happy when it went fully unhinged in the third act with the Kung Fu Satan Muppet. I also actually kind of dug the melting effects/transitions when Gabriel was taking over, and that overhead shot of Emily going from room to room was absolutely killer. And thank you for mentioning the car thing because I was like 'that bitch is going off that cliff' and then surprise it's fucking nothing. Oh God this is so long but yeah I want to see James Wan continue to make whatever he wants. Mike I like your shorts. OH and I was just in Seattle and I wanted to do a spooky underground tour but then I didn't and that's my Seattle underground story.

Rhea

*spoiler* I would have liked the movie, if at the end, when Madison "locks" away Gabriel in her mind, his prison is not literally a cold empty prison, but instead she could have locked him in a kind of dream paradise. he wouldn't even want to escape from there. and that poor bugger would have deserved some love. this would have at least taught the viewers something about compassion.

Peter Varga

seconded.

Bort Ward

I liked this aspect, but it was still not clever enough to be really good :(

Peter Varga

This episode is now part of the classic HITB collection that includes Verotika and Money Plane.

R_Pupkin

I’d like to politely request a “The Brain Is Important” RLM shirt. Jay, is Regan using your arm as a scratching post?

Jessie Zimmer

Another episode I can't watch until I've seen the movie...

Manuel Johnen

43:50 I want to say that James Wan pulled a 'Hangover 3.' He accomplished what he wanted to do with a genre, is tired of it and wanted to make a mess on the way out that no studio dares ask him again.

Bort Ward

Cheers for the Kolchak: The Night Stalker shoutout! Peak 70's-style character acting and consistently quotable dialog. "A well-done autopsy is a joy forever."

Katy

I feel like James Wan totally knew what he was doing. He wanted to shoot a highly-stylized horror movie while having fun with it- that, in turn, the audience would end up having fun watching. I don't think it's a movie you're supposed to take serious. I give James Wan credit.

rachel

I used to live in the top 3rd floor of a Victorian home turned several apartments in NYC. You would be amazed how much space you lose with those slanted roofs. It had multiple rooms but each were small. The house in Malignant was like Doctor Who's TARDIS.

James Van Sickle

Is that a N-95 bruise on Mike's face?

Giulia pomegranate

Someone made a gif of the opposed reactions between Rich's confused/horrified face and Jay's enjoyment face on Best of the Worst and I feel like that's the perfect gif for the two ways a person could respond to this movie.

Michael Parker

Sorry Jay, I liked Mike's intro better. "It Sounded Good On Paper Productions" got a good laugh.

Joshua Mannix

Since watching Malignant, I have been feeling completely fucking confused so it’s comforting to know I’m not alone. My gut based on what I have seen of Aquaman is that it is unintentionally hilarious but maybe James Wan is actually a genius. Either way, funniest movie of 2021.

Goldy Loxx

Such a weird flick. Also love the addition of the “parts” in this video! Hope that structure sticks around.

Alek

Passed on watching it last weekend but I guess this is gonna hurl me down the rabbit hole.

Lisa

Crap! They “recommend” it! Now I have homework! Hold on, I’ll be back.

Jason Cole

Thanks boys

A F

Didn't have that ending on my bingo card lulllllz

Ian Conley

Jay talking about a horror movie? Sold.

Andre K

👍👍👍

Joseph Mazza