J-Horror returns this week with RINGS (2017) heading to theaters, the third film in The Ring franchise, the U.S. version of Ringu. While the film did challenge Split for the top spot at the box office, Rings horribly under performed and scored poorly at Rotten Tomatoes. Thomas and The Black Saint chime in with there thoughts…and disgust for this boring entry into 2017 horror fare. The Black Saints gives it props for its lead and begrudgingly agrees the beginning is fun. Thomas is just unimpressed with the entire thing. Oh, noes.

Continuing the J-Horror vibe, the Grue-Crew also review the Japanese entry SADAKO VS KAYAKO currently playing on Shudder. The film, which was inspired by an April Fool’s joke, pits Sadako from the Ringu franchise against Kayako from the the Ju-On (or Grudge in the US) franchise. Move over Freddy vs Jason, step aside King Kong vs Godzilla, out of the way Frankenstein meets the Wolfman, Sadako vs Kayako sets up the fight of the century. Or, does it? The Grue-Crew are here to let you know.

Thoam guides the Horror News of the Week with a rundown of the kick-ass trailer that debuted during Super Bowl 51. As the year begins, HNR sets its eyes on a number of horror film festivals to attend throughout the year. Up first is Nevermore Horror Film Festival in Durham, NC on February 24 – 26, 2017.

Co-hosts Doc Rotten, Santos (The Black Saint) Ellin Jr., Dave Dreher and Thomas Mariani are back again this week to give you the best in horror as they recap, review and obliterate all that is horror this week! Oh, and don’t forget – Stump the Saint! (Brought to you by Gruesome Magazine)

Horror News Radio
Episode 201 – Rings (2017) – Sadako vs Kayako (2016)
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Feature Review: Rings (2017)

Gore Verbinksi surprised everyone introducing US audiences to J-Horror with The Ring (2002). The Ring Two followed three years later. Now, 12 years after the first sequel, F. Javier Gutiérrez directs the third in the franchise with Rings. The Grue-Crew are not impressed with the results of such a long wait. It is the film no one want and no body went to see. For The Black Saint and Thomas Mariani, it is an early contender for worst of the year.

What Have You Been Watching: Sadako vs Kayako (2016)

Meanwhile, over at Shudder, the Japanese entry fares far better with the Grue-Crew. Sadako vs Kayako turns out to be a fun, campy romp worth watching on the Shudder streaming service, providing a few chills, tons of thrills, and more laughs – of the intentional kind – than expected. Sadako curses one group of teens while Kayako sets her eye on a third, enter a professor, a mystic, and his sidekick to save the girls from certain doom. Their idea – pit the curses against each other, it’s Ringu vs Ju-On — to the death.

OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE

• [00:00:40]: Intro
• [00:04:13]: Days of the Dead
• [00:12:59]: Horror News of the Week
  • [00:13:15]: Super Bowl Trailers!
  • [00:14:02]: Stranger Things Season 2
  • [00:19:28]: Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2
  • [00:21:35]: Cure for Wellness
  • [00:23:58]: Life
  • [00:28:17]: Logan
  • [00:33:03]: John Wick Chapter 2
  • [00:35:00]: Pirates of the Caribbean Dead Men Tell No Tales
  • [00:37:40]: Ghost in the Shell
  • [00:41:15]: Fate of the Furious
• [00:44:20]: Support HNR
• [00:44:51]: Feature Review – Rings
• [01:03:09]: Announcements
  • [01:03:17]: Gruesome Magazine Quarterly
  • [01:04:28]: Nevermore Film Festival
  • [01:05:04]: Lightning Round Convention appearances
• [01:08:36]: What Have You Been Watching – Sadako vs Kayako
• [01:32:43]: StumpTheSaint

NEXT WEEK ON HNR

Don’t Knock Twice – John Wick Chapter 2 

GRUESOME LINKS

• Dragon Con
• Patreon
• Gruesome Tees
• Horror Pack
• Days of the Dead (Atlanta, GA – February 3-5, 2017)
• Nevermore Film Festival (Durham, NC – February 24-26, 2017)
• Crimson Screen Horror Film Festival (Charleston, SC – May 19-22, 2017)
• Nightmares Horror Films Festival (Columbus, OH – October 19-22, 2017)

Gruesome Magazine Spring 2017 is coming! That’s right, the very first issue of an all-new horror magazine from the Grue-Crew behind Horror News Radio and Gruesome Magazine website will land late February 2017. The tag line “Horror Festival Hits – Independent Films – The Future of Horror” reflects the focus of the magazine on the up’n’coming horror film makers and their films in Horror Film Festivals across the globe. Check out the GM page for more details.