Brad watches Robert F. Lyons in FREDDY’S NIGHTMARES: S2, E17 “Interior Loft Later.”

Posted on October 19, 2026 by Bradley Crain

Robert F. Lyons is one of my favorite character actors, and he turned 87 years old on October 17, 2026. One of the best nights of my life was when I was able to interview him, along with host Eric Todd, on the THIS WEEK IN CHARLES BRONSON PODCAST episode “Everyone calls me Bobby.” I mostly appreciate him based on his work with Bronson (DEATH WISH II, TEN TO MIDNIGHT, MURPHY’S LAW), but he’s got over 100 credits, and he’s given a lot of memorable performances in films and on TV over the years. As far as the horror genre, I generally think of his role as Skeeter Norris in THE DARK NIGHT OF THE SCARECROW (1981). When I was looking through his filmography this week, I noticed he had guest-starred in an episode of FREDDY’S NIGHTMARES that premiered on February 4th, 1990. Having never watched an episode before, this seemed like the perfect time to check it out.

I only watched the first part of the episode in order to see Lyons, but his story concerns an obnoxious sculptor (Lyons) who fakes his own death to avoid prosecution after the accidental death of one of his models. This also has the added benefit of increasing the value of his work. He instructs his wife, who knows he’s really alive, to sell his remaining sculptures for the premium before they head to France and live out their lives in luxury. The narcissist that he is, he goes stir crazy cooped up in his loft apartment, even accusing his wife of having an affair. Unsurprisingly, things don’t go well for him in the end.

As I said earlier, this was my first episode of FREDDY’S NIGHTMARES. I didn’t know exactly what to expect, but I did enjoy the nostalgia of seeing Freddy Krueger (Robert Englund) host the episode, even if his comments were a little corny. I don’t want to speak for the entire series, but based on this one episode alone, the story seemed designed to teach our protagonist a thing or two about the right way to treat people. Despite his artistic talent, our lead was selfish, jealous, bitter, and abusive to everyone around him, and he learned a valuable, but deadly lesson. I enjoyed Lyons’ performance, and I thought Fabiana Udenio was extremely sexy as his wife. I mean seriously, the guy should have been thanking God that he had her rather than treating her like crap. This being the early 90s, he had an earring in his left ear and a cute little ponytail, but he truly is a jerk and Lyons went all in as he always seemed to in his best performances.

I’m glad I watched this episode, even if I don’t necessarily have the desire to go back through the entire series. Lyons is good, and the story had a reasonable, if superficially manufactured, moral lesson for a guy who had treated the important people in his life kind of like property. If another episode catches my attention in the future, I’ll definitely give it a watch!

P.S. I’ve attached a link to our interview on TWICB just in case interviews with character actors like Lyons interest you. It was so much fun for me!

Brad reviews URBAN LEGEND (1998), starring Alicia Witt!

Posted on October 8, 2026 by Bradley Crain

I’m not always successful, but I spend a fairly large part of my life trying to make my wife happy. One of the ways I do that is I try to find movies for us to watch that she will enjoy, and that I will have at least some interest in. So anytime I can find a movie starring Alicia Witt, most notable in our household for her voluminous work with the Hallmark Channel, I’m definitely heading in the right direction. I was looking through her filmography on IMDB the other day and noticed she was in URBAN LEGEND. I remember the movie coming out in the late 90’s, but I had never seen it, and I had no idea she was the primary lead! It being the spooky season, I thought now was the perfect time for the two of us to cuddle up on the couch with some popcorn and enjoy the show!

Alicia Witt is Natalie Simon, a student with a dark, secretive past, who begins to suspect that a series of gruesome murders on the campus of Pendleton College are being committed by a killer obsessed with “urban legends.” Each murder seems to take a cue from those scary stories that pretty much all of us grew up hearing, and maybe even believing. As her friends are being picked off one by one, Natalie must do everything to find the killer before she becomes the next victim!

I must admit I had fun with this one. We watched it on a night where we just wanted to relax and see a bunch of obnoxious college students getting whacked in a variety of ways while we try to figure out who the killer is. I remember when SCREAM came out back in 1996 when I was 22 years old. Like so many others, I saw it in the theater and loved it. URBAN LEGEND is in that same tradition. It gives us some suspicious characters and some interesting murders inspired by stories I heard as a kid, and that late-90’s nostalgia kicked right in for me.

It was also fun looking back at the popular young cast whose careers have gone a variety of ways since the movie was made. Along with Witt, our cast of potential killers and victims include Jared Leto, Rebecca Gayheart, Joshua Jackson, and Tara Reid. I really enjoyed seeing veteran genre actors pop up as the movie goes along. The opening scene with Brad Dourif is very effective and lets us know immediately that we can’t trust our normal expectations. Robert Englund is also on hand to provide a creepy and suspicious professor. Heck, Danielle Harris is also in the cast, which was right at the beginning of her extensive career in horror movies.

Until I watched this movie, I didn’t realize just how universal some urban legends really are! A couple of freaky ones I remember as a kid include the story of the gang initiation where potential members drive around with their lights off just waiting for someone to flash their lights at them. Even more disturbing is the one where someone hides under your car ready to slice your Achilles tendon. Each of those stories are represented here. Building a scary movie around those legends, and many more, is a darn clever idea, and I enjoyed seeing what the filmmakers might come up with next.

URBAN LEGEND isn’t a horror masterpiece. It’s not very original, and it’s full of dumb characters making dumb decisions. But I still had a good time with it. For me, it’s a fun little slasher that takes an interesting premise and provides a few cheap scares. And most importantly, it made my wife happy, and that means a lot!

The TSL Horror Grindhouse: The Phantom of the Opera (dir by Dwight H. Little)

Posted on October 1, 2026 by Lisa Marie Bowman

1989’s The Phantom of the Opera opens in what was then-modern day Manhattan.

Christine Day (Jill Schoelen) is a young opera singer who is searching for the perfect audition piece. Her friend, Meg (Molly Shannon), suggests that she use an obscure opera piece called Don Juan Triumphant. The opera was written by Erik Destler, a mysterious composer who was accused of murdering several opera singers in the 1800s. That morbid fact only makes Christine all the more convinced that she should use the piece in her audition and you know what? I would probably feel the same way. If nothing else, it would certainly appeal to my subversive side.

Even after Christine imagines seeing blood seeping off the pages of the opera, she remains committed to auditioning with it. Unfortunately, at the audition, a sandbag falls on her head. She’s knocked unconscious and, when she wakes up, she finds herself in 1885 London. She’s an understudy for a diva named La Carlotta (Sharon Lawrence). Carlotta has skill and technique but her singing lacks emotion. She hits each note perfectly but she brings no deeper meaning to her performances. Christine may lack Carlotta’s polish but she sings with emotion. For that reason, Carlotta is jealous of Christine. Meanwhile, Erik Destler (Robert Englund), who lives in the sewers of London’s opera house and who wears a mask over his disfigured face, feels that Christine is the only one who can do his work justice and he’s willing to go to any length to make sure that she’s the one who performs on stage.

At the time he made The Phantom of the Opera, Robert Englund was still regularly playing Freddy Krueger. The film’s version of Erik Destler does owe a bit to Krueger. Erik is as ruthless as Freddy, he’s good with a quip, he’s just as willing to kill, and, needless to say, he also has a face that will haunt your nightmares. That said, Erik is also a creative artist, which is something that Freddy never was. If Freddy was motivated by revenge, Erik is motivated by a desire to see his work come to life the way that he’s always imagined it. Erik murders to help Christine (regardless of whether or not Chrsitine actually wants the help) whereas Freddy killed because he enjoyed it. Englund gives a good performance as Erik, occasionally playing the role with the type of broadness that is to expected from a B-horror film but also still offering hints of the artist that Erik once was. Englund is well-matched with Jill Schoelen, who brings a likable energy to Christine.

Produced by Menahem Golan and Harry Alan Towers, The Phantom of the Opera is an entertaining B-movie, one that is obviously not meant to be taken too seriously. Director Dwight H. Little keeps the action moving at a steady pace, the sets and the costumes are to die for, the kills are unapologetically bloody, and the film even manages to put an interesting twist on the whole “it was all dream!” thing. The Phantom of the Opera is an enjoyably macabre showcase for two of the best horror performers of the 80s and 90s, Jill Schoelen and Robert Englund.

Late Night Retro Television Review: Freddy’s Nightmares 2.22 “Life Sentence”

Posted on August 7, 2026 by Lisa Marie Bowman

Welcome to Late Night Retro Television Reviews, a feature where we review some of our favorite and least favorite shows of the past! On Fridays, I will be reviewing Freddy’s Nightmares, a horror anthology show which ran in syndication from 1988 to 1990. The entire series can be found on Tubi!

This week, we finish up Freddy’s Nightmares.

Episode 2.22 “Life Sentence”

(Dir by Anita W. Addison, originally aired on March 11th, 1990)

The final episode of Freddy’s Nightmares is also one of the most boring.

Just as with last week’s snoozefest, this episode takes place at the local prison. Andy (George De La Pena) is due to be released. Everyone knows that he killed a guard during an armored truck robbery but Andy blamed his accomplice Bruno (Ron Troncatty) and got away with a plea bargain. Andy can’t wait to get out of jail. He brags to the guy in the next cell about how he knows where all the money is hidden.

Uh-oh, it looks like the prison’s psychiatrist, Elaine Alamo (Penny Johnson Jerald), is trying to keep Andy imprisoned. What does Andy care? Sure, everyone hates him but Bruno’s in another prison and Andy’s got all that money waiting for him. However, when Andy finds out that Bruno has escaped, Andy no longer feels safe on the outside. However, Elaine has changed her mind about keeping Andy in jail because she wants Bruno to kill Andy because the guard the Andy killed was her father. So, Andy kills Elaine so he can stay in prison. But then Bruno gets captured and becomes Andy’s new cellmate. That’s the first story.

The second story features the prison’s warden, Hendler (John Milford), running for sheriff. He’s behind in the polls so he uses an experimental truth serum on Andy. Andy hallucinates that the Warden is Bruno and Andy tells him where the money is hidden. Then Andy dies from a heart attack. The Warden calls a press conference to announce that he’s found the money but Dr. Redman (Glynn Turman), the inventor of the serum, spikes the Warden’s drink and the Warden confesses to killing Andy.

Freddy doesn’t do anything in either one of these stories, other than appear in three host segments and tell a joke about dropping the soap.

This episode was incredibly dull. The low-budget was extremely obvious. (The Warden holds his press conference in the prison, presumably because the show couldn’t afford to dress another set.) Penny Johnson Jerald does a good job with her role but otherwise, this was a poorly acted episode that featured dull characters. Andy was unlikable. The Warden was unlikable. This episode was sad note for this show to go out on.

Of course, it’s not a shock that Freddy’s Nightmares ended with a bad episode. It wasn’t a very good show to begin with, There were a few above average episodes during the second season and the first season features some memorably grotesque moments but otherwise, Freddy’s Nightmares was too constrained by the standards of television to really live up to the legacy of A Nightmare on Elm Street. The best episode were the ones the featured Freddy getting involved in the plot but those were few and far between.

Freddy’s Nightmares did not get a grand finale. Instead, it just got a forgettable final episode. Unlike the Friday the 13th series, Freddy’s Nightmares never found a consistent tone or a compelling reason for existing.

Oh well. Next week, we’ll have a new show in this time slot. See you then!

Scenes I Love: A Nightmare on Elm Street

Posted on August 2, 2026 by Lisa Marie Bowman

A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984, dir by Wes Craven, DP: Jacques Haitkin)

Since today is Wes Craven’s birthday, our scene of the day comes from 1984’s A Nightmare On Elm Street. Along with Scream, this was Wes Craven’s signature film. And also, much like Scream, a series of sequels led to many people forgetting just how effective the first film was. Wes Craven reportedly reached back to his own childhood fears with the character of Freddy and, in Robert Englund, he found the perfect actor to bring the character to life.

(Interestingly, Craven’s initial choice for the role was David Warner.)

In this scene, we see just how scary the original A Nightmare on Elm Street actually was.

Late Night Retro Television Review: Freddy’s Nightmares 2.21 “Prisoner of Love”

Posted on July 31, 2026 by Lisa Marie Bowman

Let’s go to prison! Is Freddy coming?

Episode 2.21 “Prisoner of Love”

(Dir by Richard T. Schor, originally aired on March 4th, 1990)

A flakey Episcopalian named Father Jarvis (Vincent Baggetta) is appointed the new chaplain of Springwood Prison. Jarvis has just returned from Haiti and has a rather liberal outlook towards prison reform. When he falls in love with Death Row prisoner Violet (Maria Richwine), he gives her a Haitian drug that will make it appear as if she’s died. He promises her that he will dig her up from the prison graveyard before she suffocates. Unfortunately, Jarvis oversleeps and Violet suffocates in her coffin.

Still, another prisoner named Brenda (Tara Buckman) overheard Jarvis talking to Violet and she decides that she wants the same drug. Jarvis gives it to her but it turns out that Jarvis is also being haunted by the ghost of Violet. Violet says that she can’t move on until Brenda forgives her for killing Brenda’s boyfriend. Brenda finds herself being held captive by the crazed Father Jarvis.

This episode was the second-to-late for Freddy’s Nightmares and, unfortunately, it’s not very good. Between the histrionic acting and the predictable plot, this story really makes you wish that Freddy was doing something more than just introducing it. As it was, this episode really reminded me of how limiting the show’s format was. Whenever something scary happens, it’s always a given that it will turn out to be a dream. It’s predictable and a little bit dull, unless it’s one of the rare episodes in which Freddy actually played a role in the story.

Next week, we will finish up Freddy’s Nightmares!

Late Night Retro Television Review: Freddy’s Nightmares 2.20 “Dust to Dust”

Posted on July 24, 2026 by Lisa Marie Bowman

The cannibals are back!

Episode 2.20 “Dust to Dust”

(Dir by Bill Froehlich, originally aired on February 25th, 1990)

Tony Dow, Amy Lyndon, and Sandahl Bergman, the three cannibals from Prime Cut, are back! They are now all living together and are members of Cannibals Anonymous. For months, they have resisted the urge to taste human flesh. But, when an escaped prisoner breaks into their home, they give into temptation and have a good meal.

Uh-oh, it turns out that escaped prisoner was actually an astronaut who returned to Earth infected with a space virus that eventually reduces its victims to dust. And now, the cannibals all have the virus! The government abducts them and takes them to an underground lab where a group of scientists dispassionately watch as they become hypersexual before going insane and turning into dust. One scientist (Tim Russ) sympathizes with the cannibals and soon, the entire lab is infected.

This episode had potential but it ultimately failed because it couldn’t decide whether it wanted to be funny or scary. There’s a lot of terror to found in the idea of being held prisoner until your transformed into blue dust. At the same time, the symptoms of the space virus were so over-the-top and the actors went so overboard in performing those symptoms that it was hard to really care about any of it. Having the victims quote a movie before turning into dust probably seemed like a good idea but it doesn’t work in execution. The whole thing ultimately felt like a community theater production of The Andromeda Syndrome.

Not even Freddy appeared to be that interested in this episode.

Only two more episodes to go!

Late Night Retro Television Review: Freddy’s Nightmares 2.19 “A Family Affair”

Posted on July 10, 2026 by Lisa Marie Bowman

This week’s episode is all about death, natural and otherwise.

Episode 2.19 “A Family Affair”

(Dir by Keith Samples, originally aired on February 19th, 1990)

Paul (Leonard O. Turner) is having an affair with Claire (Kim Morgan Greene). He doesn’t want his wife, Helen (Marlene Warfield), or his son, Jason (Morris Chestnut) to find out so when Claire becomes possessive and breaks into his house, he resorts to drastic measures and kills her. However, he and Jason then discover that Claire has already killed Helen. Months later, Paul and Jason are now estranged and Jason is doing drugs. When Paul has a heart attack, he is visited by Claire’s spirit. Claire is now the Angel of Death and has come to claim his soul. Paul begs Claire to give one more week of life so that he can settle his affairs. Claire agrees and then says that she still can’t return empty-handed. Guess who overdoses?

“Drugs,” Freddy Krueger says, “Now there’s a real nightmare!”

Did you hear that kids? The horribly scarred. undead serial killer who is the host of this show says that you better not do drugs. Freddy — or I should say, Robert Englund — delivers the line in a very solemn tone. Freddy’s Nightmares is trying to be socially responsible.

Oh, what to say about this episode? Kim Morgan Greene was enjoyably snarky while playing the Angel of Death. Otherwise, this was a pretty boring episode. Paul’s a jerk and, as a result, he loses everyone that he cares about. If Paul was in any way sympathetic, that would be sad. As it is, it’s hard to care.

Only three episodes left!

Late Night Retro Television Review: Freddy’s Nightmares 2.18 “Funhouse”

Posted on June 26, 2026 by Lisa Marie Bowman

This week, a mansion is full of …. well, one surprise.

Episode 2.18 “Funhouse”

(Dir by Gilbert Adler, originally aired on February 11th, 1990)

Turk (Todd Allen), the moving man, is busy this week.

In our first story, Turk helps a young married couple, Emma (Robin Greer) and Robert Palmer (Clayton Landey), move into an old mansion. Turk talks about how the previous owners came to a bad end. Emma finds herself having dreams in which both Turk and her former lover, Colin (Joseph Brutsman), come aftter her. She comes to realize that the house is not haunted by a ghost but instead by a man looking for revenge. As is often the case with these type of stories, it all ends with a booby trap involving a bed of nails. Yikes!

In our second story, Turk helps another couple move into the house, Evelyn (Valerie Wildman) and her much older husband, Victor Hall (Robert Dowdell). This time, it’s Turk who ends up getting seduced by both Evelyn and the maid, Jillian (Laura Austin). However, it all turns out to be an elaborate game tht Evelyn, Victor, and Jillian enjoy playing. The bed of spikes booby trap makes yet another appearance and it’s so cool that it doesn’t even matter that Freddy’s Nightmares basically just repeated the twist from the first story in the second story.

This episode was fun. There really wasn’t anything supernatural going on but the cast of both stories seemed to enjoy playing up the noirsh aspects of their characters and Todd Allen was amusing as the cocky but stupid Turk. The bed of nails was an enjoyable macabre little twist.

Even at its best, Freddy’s Nightmares tended to be incredibly uneven but this was actually an enjoyable little episode.

Late Night Retro Television Review: Freddy’s Nightmares 2.17 “Interior Loft Later”

Posted on June 19, 2026 by Lisa Marie Bowman

This week, a loft sees a lot of action!

Episode 2.17 “Interior Loft Later”

(Dir by Ken Wiederhorn, originally aired on February 4th, 1990)

The loft from last week’s episode returns!

The loft is now home to sculptor Alex McFain (Robert F. Lyons). Alex spends most of his time sitting and sleeping in a bath tub and complaining about the fact that his work doesn’t make him much money. When his wife, Fabina (Fabiana Udenio) accidentally kills one of Alex’s models, Alex comes up with a brilliant plan. He’ll fake his own death so his work will become valuable!

At first, the plan works. The only problem is that Alex can no longer leave the loft. With Fabina constantly going outside to sell his work, Alex starts to worry that she’s having an affair with another man. It tuns out that he’s half-right. Fabina is having an affair but it’s with another woman. Alex is shocked but he’s then killed by decorative sword that falls off of the ceiling. Now, his work will be really valuable!

Months later, Fabina’s former boy toy, Art (Dean Fortunato), shows up at the apartment and discovers that it is now occupied by Stacy (Leslie Bega) and Gina (Tory Polone). Art moves in with them and proceeds to seduce both of them. He tells one that he’s an environmental activist being pursued by a cartel of fishermen. He tells the other that he’s being chased by the mob. When Stacy and Gina compare notes, it’s bad news for both Art.

Freddy doesn’t do anything in either one of these stories, other than introduce them. Both stories follow the familiar pattern where anything overly dramatic that happens is ultimately revealed to be a dream. Neither story is all that interesting but Robert F. Lyons does his best to bring some life to his role of the sculptor pretending to be dead. As has so often been the case with the second season, this episode isn’t great or even memorable but it’s still a hundred times better than the majority of the first season.