Retro Blood 207: Death Ship (1980)

James Kline and J.H. Alison close out Ghost Month Part 2 with one of the wildest nautical horrors of the 1980s—Death Ship! This haunted German vessel isn’t just drifting at sea—it’s captained by one of the decade’s most underrated horror villains, the sinister Captain Ashland. We kick things off with first impressions before diving into our History Segment, exploring what was happening in Pro Wrestling and Metal around the release date of March 7, 1980. In wrestling, James questions whether the true “monster heel push” started with Hulk Hogan. Alison then takes us into metal with Judas Priest’s legendary tour, a pivotal moment for heavy music. From there, we go behind the scenes of Death Ship—covering filming locations, the director’s vision, cast notes, and even the films it shamelessly “borrowed” scenes from. Then it’s a full breakdown of this creepy maritime nightmare: couples who can’t commit, the unforgettable blood shower scene, the twisted transformation of Marshall, and of course, Captain Ashland morphing into a full-on Nazi sea ghoul. Is Death Ship secretly connected to Evil Dead lore? We dig into that theory and more in this chilling deep-sea finale. #RetroBloodPodcast #DeathShip #80sHorror #GhostShip #CultHorror #HauntedShip #ProWrestlingHistory #HeavyMetalHistory