Sean Parker
Valentine’s Day is right around the corner, so this week on the Horror Obsessive Podcast, love is in the air—and, also a dense fumigation smoke. We had a few different titles to choose from to deliver a gimmicky Valentine’s day episode, but you’ve likely heard all you could stand about both versions of My Bloody Valentine and slasher whodunit Valentine. So, this week it was my pick, and I dug deep for something so buried that even I hadn’t seen it. X-Ray (aka Hospital Massacre, Ward 13, Be my Valentine, Or Else.., among other alternative titles) starts with a jilted Valentine’s Day card and stumbles into a stalker story Susan (Barbi Benton) doesn’t even know she’s part of.
X-Ray is a seldom-seen slasher movie from the post-Friday the 13th era, where producers were looking to capitalize on the Crystal Lake killer by offering horror fans all sorts of knockoffs. Despite X-Ray‘s schlockiness, it’s actually a pretty fun time. It utilizes themes of a woman trapped under a man’s authority, gaslighting, and a psycho-stalker born out of rejection that seems too good for the setup it’s been installed in. Join me and JP Nunez as we discuss this oft-forgotten slasher film from the golden age of horror. Discussing its pitfalls and surprises, like the sleaziness of having a physical with a suspected psycho or why no one notices when various staff members go missing at this hospital, see X-Ray from the perspective of my enjoyment and JP’s eye-rolling detest.
Besides discussing X-Ray, we also talk about several films releasing this weekend, like Daughter and She Came from the Woods. JP explains what irked him about Knock at the Cabin, and we both throw some credit M. Night Shyamalan’s way. And JP picks a side in the left Twix/Right Twix debate.
Watch X-Ray on Tubi now, and listen to the podcast here or wherever you listen to podcasts.
