Well Adjusted: Recent Episodes
Johnathon Williams and Levi Horne
An unauthorized sequel, a comb-over with its own screen credit, and a shark that showed up to work harder than most of the cast. This week we cover:
- Why 1979 was secretly the best year ever — disco demolition night, the birth of hip-hop, and the rise of the synth that would score every Italian horror film for a decade
- The copyright crime scene that gave this movie four different titles
- Fulci's love of eyes, maggoty conquistadors rising from the dirt, and the shark scene that earns its Shark Month invite
- Fabio Frizzi vs. Goblin, and Guillermo del Toro's coke-bottle-glasses fanboy origin story
- A stirring argument that fast zombies aren't zombies — fight us
- Plus a lightning-round ranking of recent horror, from Send Help to 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple
Mentioned in this episodeThe show: True Detective Season 1 (HBO), written by Nic Pizzolatto, dir. Cary Joji Fukunaga. Rust Cohle (Matthew McConaughey), Marty Hart (Woody Harrelson), Maggie Hart (Michelle Monaghan), Reggie Ledoux, Errol Childress, Billy Lee Tuttle, Sheriff Steve Geraci, Dora Lange, Marie Fontenot, Ginger & the Iron Crusaders. Filming locations: Fort Macomb, LA; "Cancer Alley."
Books & authors: Robert W. Chambers, The King in Yellow / "The Repairer of Reputations" • Thomas Ligotti, The Conspiracy Against the Human Race • H.P. Lovecraft, "Supernatural Horror in Literature" • Emil Cioran • Flannery O'Connor ("Christ-haunted") • Stephen Graham Jones.
Films & TV in the conversation: Se7en, Zodiac, Heat, The Departed, Brooklyn's Finest, Lethal Weapon, Sideways, The Thing (and the "Who Goes There?" source story), The Wicker Man, Midsommar, Men, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, The Last Exorcism, Watchmen, My Cousin Vinny, Boardwalk Empire, Deadwood, The Boys — and our own Chernobyl episode.
Film: Let the Right One In (Låt den rätte komma in), 2008, dir. Tomas Alfredson — the original Swedish version, not the American remake
Oscar as the kid who fell through every crack in the social safety net — absent parents, unchecked bullying, zero adult intervention
The film's place in the Nordic noir tradition alongside The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo — horror as a lens on the failures of Scandinavian social democracy
Eli as an ageless predator disguised as a child — the anti-romantic vampire, feeding scenes played as animal attacks rather than seduction
The castration subplot: the book, the brief film moment, and how it connects to the history of the castrati and the "monstrous trans" trope in horror (Silence of the Lambs, Sleepaway Camp)
That pool scene — one of the top 10 horror scenes ever committed to film, don't @ us
The grooming debate: Is the ending a love story or a tragedy on repeat? (Spoiler: it's the second one)
Top 3 vampire films: Let the Right One In, Coppola's Dracula, The Lost Boys (According to Johnathon)
What We've Been Watching: 28 Years Later, Abraham's Boys, The Thing, The Abominable Snowman, The Shining, Together
Coming Soon: Scream 7, Undertone (A24)
Next Month: True Detective Season 1 with the Baldwin Boys!
The gang's all here to bid 2025 a fond (?) farewell. We're ranking the year's horror offerings, from Guillermo del Toro finally delivering the Frankenstein film Levi's waited 30 years for, to Sinners' hot-and-bothered vampires that some of us couldn't be bothered to finish.
Weapons confused us until it didn't. The Long Walk made Levi cry. 28 Years Later pissed off Jonathan because The Walking Dead ruined everything. And somewhere in there, we imagined Lloyd the bartender giving Jack Torrance relationship advice.
Films Discussed: Frankenstein, Sinners, Weapons, The Long Walk, 28 Years Later, Bring Her Back, Companion, The Monkey, The Ugly Stepsister, Silent Night Deadly Night, Welcome to Derry, Nosferatu, and—of course—Maximum Overdrive.
Coming in 2026: Werwolf (it's spelled that way, we checked), Clayface, and whatever nightmare the Pinocchio public domain is cooking up.
Give Caleb's wine podcast Natural State of Wine a listen—he's a level two sommelier and will make you a better person, probably.
- Silent Night, Deadly Night (2025): A remake that decided "what if we made the killer sympathetic and also gave him a Venom-style relationship with his murder suit?"
- Rowan Campbell returns to horror after Halloween Ends, once again playing the tortured guy nobody trusted
- The Nazi barn scene: Makes zero geographic sense. Maximum entertainment value. Very Indiana Jones.
- A spirited debate about why modern horror will gleefully show you intestines but treats consensual nudity like radioactive material
- Budget: $750k. Box office: $3 million. Verdict: Added to the annual Christmas horror rotation.
- Brief tangent about Luigi Mangione, because of course
- Levi's history lesson on Christmas drinking traditions—turns out our ancestors got absolutely hammered for 12 days straight and we've been cowards ever since
- Coming up: New Year's episode with the Baldwin boys
What We're Carving Up:
- Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey (2023)
Things We Discussed:
- Why Christopher Robin abandoning his woodland friends turns them into rage-fueled killers (relatable)
- The beauty of democracy: bastardizing beloved characters the second copyright expires
- Where's Tigger? (Answer: safe in copyright jail until the sequel)
- That surprisingly decent animated opening vs. everything that follows
- 80s slasher vibes meet sexist trash aesthetics
- Why elevated horror fatigue is real and trash cinema has its place
- Other recent disappointments: Keeper, Shelby Oaks
- Looking forward to: Nosferatu, Silent Night Deadly Night
The Verdict: Tasty trash or tasteless trash? You decide. Either way, bring friends who can handle knowing you watched this.
Caleb's podcast: The Natural State of Wine
Film Discussed: Velvet Buzzsaw (2019), directed by Dan Gilroy
Cast: Jake Gyllenhaal, Rene Russo, John Malkovich, Toni Collette, Zawe Ashton, Tom Sturridge
Wines Featured:
- Lovehammer Cabernet 2020, Pine Mountain, Slow Jam's Vineyard
- Dominique Renard Rosé Champagne
- Jordan Chardonnay 2022
Key Discussion Topics:
- The pretension and exploitation in the contemporary art world
- Authenticity vs. hype in wine, art, and culture
- Haunted/cursed art as a horror subgenre (references to The Picture of Dorian Gray, Pickman's Model)
- Why visual art gets more latitude for bullshit than other art forms
- The film's morality play about respecting an artist's final wishes
- Memorable deaths: the sphere, Hobo Man, paintings that literally kill
References: HP Lovecraft's "Pickman's Model," The Devil's Candy, Candyman (2021), Nightcrawler, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia's Ongo Gablogian
The Return
- Back from a 6-month break (Levi's "summer slumber")
- Spooky season timing couldn't be better
- Beer of choice: Maharaja IPA from Avery Brewing ("battery acid in a can")
Phantoms (1998)
- Directed by Joe Chappelle (Halloween: Curse of Michael Myers)
- Written by Dean Koontz, adapting his own novel
- Starring baby-faced Ben Affleck as a sheriff/ex-FBI agent
- Features Peter O'Toole bringing gravitas to exposition dumps
- Rose McGowan and Joanna Going in peak Miramax era roles
Plot Discussion
- Small Colorado town mysteriously empty (before it was cool)
- Ancient enemy that's basically primordial ooze meets ChatGPT
- Lovecraftian influences mixed with The Thing vibes
- Pacing issues: "It's a four-act movie pretending to be three"
- CGI that aged like milk left in the sun
Peter O'Toole Appreciation Corner
- From Lawrence of Arabia to... this
- Survived pancreatic cancer in the '70s (absolute legend)
- Professional drinker, occasional actor
- Died in 2012 at 80
October Horror Plans
- Pumpkinhead (Kentucky hillbillies and monsters)
- Witchfinder General (Vincent Price at his cruelest)
- Discussion of recent releases: Sinners, Weapons, The Long Walk
Random Tangents
- SSRIs and their gill-growing properties
- The bridge troll health guru phenomenon
- Why cigarettes are actually good for you (they're not)
- Ben Affleck's chin as a character unto itself
Rating: Mixed bag - great concept, questionable execution, worth it for Liev Schreiber's creepy giggle alone
In this episode, we dive deep into Deliver Us From Evil (2014), a blend of supernatural horror, crime thriller, and buddy cop movie — featuring our special guest, Lindsay Brown.Episode question: Is a bad Brooklyn accent worse than complete spiritual depravity? Spoiler: The answer is yes.
We also reflect on Levi's viewing of "Nosferatu," examining its stylistic choices and societal themes. As we rank our favorite horror films from the past year, we highlight the connections between storytelling and audience reactions. We wrap up with our exciting plans for future projects and genre explorations in podcasting.
The episode opens on an emotional note for Jonathan as he acknowledges the bittersweet moment of watching his mentee, Levi, select a film that he deems one of the worst ever made. The duo can't help but dive into the absurdity, as they reminisce about the film's gratuitous nudity, poor acting, and the unforgettable presence of Clint Howard - whose performance, while dubious, is not to be dismissed too lightly.
Special guest Lindsey joins Levi & Johnathon for a look at Needful Things, an underrated adaption of Stephen King's novel by the same name.
Do you idolatry?
We idolatry.
This week Levi and special guests Caleb and Luke consider the odd man out in the Halloween franchise, Halloween III.
They're eating the dogs and they're eating the cats. But it's cool, because there are 12 sequels in the Friday the 13th franchise alone.
It's Lovecraft's birthday month, and the boys have words. Join us as we track his influence from The House by the Cemetery to Alien Romulus.
Shark month is over, but the river is filled with carnivorous fish. Join the boys as they look at Piranha (1978).
It's a 90s extravaganza as the boys discuss the phenomenon of twin films, movie monsters, Harvey Weinstein, and bugs. Lots and lots of bugs.
Are you ready for a deep dive into the radioactive horrors of HBO's "Chernobyl"? In this extra-long episode, the Well Adjusted Horror crew and their trusty sidekicks Caleb and Luke put on their hazmat suits to explore this historical drama. Strap in, because things are about to get more toxic than the Exclusion Zone!
Topics discussed:
- The gruesome effects of radiation poisoning
- The political horror show of the Soviet system
- The existential dread that'll make you question everything
- The incredible attention to detail and tension-building
- The powerhouse performances by Jared Harris, Stellan Skarsgård, and Emily Watson
Join us as the boys discuss the difference between gore and body horror while talking David Cronenberg's "The Fly".
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Levi's short film : https://youtu.be/xzTIg6Iqfh0?si=CCXnpZBf3l6REm2d
The boys are again joined by the Baldwin brothers to discuss the films they watched in 2023 along with what they're looking forward to in 2024.
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Instagram and Threads: @well_adjustedpodcast
Levi's short film "Madness Within" : https://youtu.be/xzTIg6Iqfh0?si=7wsxkltp7kpwcFME
On this episode the boys sit down to a nice cup of mulled wine and discuss a holiday favorite...Gremlins.
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The boys sit at the dinner table to discuss Eli Roth's "Thanksgiving", the 80's vs. the 90's, and slashers as a subgenre of horror.
For Friendsgiving 2023 the boys are joined by a special guest to discuss Tucker and Dale vs. Evil, Hicksploitation, Wes Craven, and sadly Rob Zombie.
The boys are joined by several special guests live at the local Halloween bar. Depravity and debauchery ensue!
Our inaugural Back to School episode and this one is a doozy. Carpenter, King, 27 year olds playing 17, switchblades, addiction, sex, and cars. It's all here.
Join Levi as he discusses one of his favorite monsters, the Elder One himself, Cthulhu.
Levi had high hopes, so did Johnathon, did it pay off? Find out if the boys deserve to have nice things.
The boys return with their full entourage for a fin-tasatic look at Jaws 4: The Revenge. It's a romanic comedy. But not really.
Edgar Allan Poe, H.P. Lovecraft, Roger Corman, Vincent Price, Lon Cheney Jr! What more do we need to say?
It's The Haunted Palace (1963). It's old. It's creepy. It's comfort food.
Join us as the boys discuss parenting, the legend that is Oliver Reed, and David Cronenberg's The Brood. Body Horror? Check! Embellished acting? Check! Strange, mentally scarring finale? Check! This has everything you want from a Cronenberg film!
This week the boys break out their scarves and cigarettes for a discussion of the French film RAW (2016).
It's Episode 61, and the boys are finally discussing a movie directed by favorite Jordan Peele — Nope (2022).
Themes: Spectacle vs significance, capitalism vs family, animals vs humans, and aliens vs ... everybody.
We now have a Patreon. You may show your pleasure:
patreon.com/WellAdjusted
Check out Levi's short film, Flight:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xxldWAMMrBU
Sam Neil is more handsome than your hosts will ever be, and that's okay.
But this week's movie is not okay. It's the cold war. It's West Germany. Sam Neil is a spy who can read anyone but his beloved — and maybe the tentacle monster she spawns to replace him?
The boys are joined by two special guests for a special look at the year head in horror movies.
Listen along as the boys celebrate one of the best storytellers in any genre — Stephen King.
Mad scientists?
Check.
Zombies?
Check.
A severed head in a compromising position with a co-ed?
Check.
The boys lose their heads with a celebration of their favorite carnival ride of a movie, H.P. Lovecraft's Re-Animator.
The best holiday of the year is around the corner, so the boys pull up a classic — John Carpenter's Halloween.
The Amityville Horror (1977) has stood the test of time, which is odd given that it really isn't a very good movie.
Is it a strait-forward haunting tale punching above its weight because of the based-on-true-story angle?
Or is it a more subtle allegory about economic anxiety?
Your favorite podcasters return from their accidental month off just in time for Shark Week, with a somewhat grumpy look at Jaws 2.
It may not be the best sequel ever made, but what an electrifying ending!
Also, what does it take to lose a mayoral election in Amity?
This week Johnathon once again drags Levi back to the 80s to consider a classic of the werewolf genre — Stephen King's Silver Bullet (1985).
This one has all the ingredients of a great King adaption — rabble-rousing yokels, nostalgic voice overs, and a severed head in the first 5 minutes.
Also, dad hats.
There is no better reason to watch a movie than Kevin Bacon, but Tremors (1990) includes several other reasons anyway.
It's been called "the perfect bad" movie, and the boys agree with that, except for the "bad" part.
Press play and join the love fest for one of the best genre movies ever made.
There are two kinds of people in the world — those who think that The Exorcist (1973) is the greatest horror movie ever made, and those who refuse to flush the toilet in a public restroom.
Levi kicks it off with a look at the generational divide that made this movie such a bombshell upon its release, while Johnathon sheds light on the process of becoming a cranky old man. From there the boys quickly get into the deep water of the movie's theology. What does it mean to depict supernatural evil but no supernatural good? Does the God invoked in this movie save his servants, or are our two hero priests left alone in their sacrifice?
Give it a listen.
This week the boys look at Interview with a Vampire (1994), the adaptation that introduced movie goers to the world of Anne Rice's vampire chronicles.
Brad Pitt is beautiful and sad. Tom Cruise is beautiful and angry. Antonio Banderas is beautiful and confused about consent.
Also, theater kids are insufferable.
This week Johnathon tries once again to convince Levi that the 80s were the best decade ever.
And this week's movie has it all — switchblades, strippers, albino street thugs, asian stereotypes, and oh yeah, VAMPIRES.
This week the boys struggle to appreciate Werner Herzog's Nosferatu and come away with mostly questions. Is it a horror movie? Is is an art house dreamscape? Should lead actor Klaus Kinski have spent his life in a psychiatric hospital?
One thing is certain: Werner Herzog is a genius, even when the boys struggle to follow his vision.
Also, check out the trailer for Levi's short film on YouTube:
This week the boys examine their favorite fictional serial killer, Dr. Hannibal Lector. From the the movie Silence of the Lambs to TV's Hannibal — as well as the books that inspired them — the boys try to figure out what makes the well mannered doctor so attractive. (Other than the fact that he mostly eats the rude).
In a world beset by people punching flight attendants, screaming at waiters, and otherwise making asses of themselves, is Hannibal the hero we deserve?
Also discussed: the purpose of manners and etiquette, the taboo of cannibalism, and the importance of aesthetics.
This week the boys are glad to bring some sex positivity to the podcast with an old-fashioned American Christmas slasher, To All A Good Night (1980).
Sure, multiple killers are running around in Santa suits, but at least the young ladies in the cast get to sneak their boyfriends into their boarding school for a fun filled weekend.
Also discussed: Twitter trolls, hiring assassins online, why Americans are losing their minds in record numbers, and why we need more insane asylums.
Before this episode, Johnathon was certain there was no horror movie he couldn't enjoy on some, however limited, level. But then Levi made him watch this.
Some terrible movies we forgive because of budget constraints. Some terrible movies we forgive because of the heroic efforts of the cast. Some terrible movies we forgive because the movie is in on the joke.
And some we forgive because cocaine is one hell of a drug.
Not this one.
It's the Christmas season. And Gary Busey is still beyond the help of the sweet baby Jesus.
This week the boys and special guest Lindsey Brown discuss The Awakening (2011), possibly the most British horror movie ever created.
Emotional repression, psychological oppression, sexual oppression, bad weather ... you get the idea.
Oh, and ghosts.
This week's movie triggers all of the nostalgia for lovers of 80s horror and VHS tapes — and that of course includes our boys.
Levi admires the stiff upper lip Brits display under duress, while Johnathon finds himself reluctantly admiring the censor board (sort of).
Questions asked : What rate of change can a culture endure before the wheels come off? Is there a non-authoritarian way of slowing things down? How many seconds of an eye gouging scene does a movie need? And why is Levi obsessed with the Brits?
Bonus follow up discussion of The Monster Squad.
In this episode Levi is finally unleashed to go full nerd on Hammer horror films — and specifically on the 1957 classic The Curse of Frankenstein.
But don't worry, Johnathon immediately derails him with a mini rant on cancel culture. You can't cancel Frankenstein!
If you have something bad to say about this movie, we don't want to hear it.
John Carpenter's The Fog (1980) starts with an old man scaring the hell out of some little kids with a campfire ghost story, and it only gets better from there.
Levi celebrates the scream queen royalty in the cast, as well as the creepy New England lighthouse vibe (despite the movie being set in California).
Johnathon is convinced he and Adrian Barbeau could be happy together. Johnathon is also convinced he would have made a decent priest. Johnathon has issues.
Fall is here, and that means fraternities and sororities are in full swing, and that means ... alien brain slugs!
This week the boys revisit Night of the Creeps (1986), a hilarious horror mashup that's part detective noir, part zombie film, part college coming-of-age story, and all awesome. Tom Atkins (from John Carpenter's The Fog) gives a performance for the ages as a hard boiled detective investigating a series of mysterious deaths.
Aliens, an escaped mental patient, a sorority formal, a flamethrower, and too many one liners to count.
Even Levi liked this one.
It's back to school month here in the U.S., and there's no better time to revisit the ultimate in high school horror movies — Stephen King's Carrie. Released in 1976, the movie established King as a household name in the horror genre, and the opening shower scene immediately embedded itself as one of the most iconic in cinema history.
In this episode, we nerd out on all things King, discuss whether the social environment in high schools has improved, and consider mean girls as villains.
Check out our new YouTube Channel:
This week the boys celebrate two landmarks: H.P. Lovecraft's birthday and the one year anniversary of the podcast.
Trying them together is the Lovecraft-inspired Don't Breathe, a 2016 movie about a romantic bed and breakfast run by a kindly disabled veteran played by Stephen Lang.
The traditional first anniversary gift is paper. Johnathon is still waiting for his present. Get it together, Levi.
We live in an age of conspiracy theories, and the good news is that John Carpenter's They Live has never been more relevant. The boys and a special guest discuss 80s excess, the American obsession with conspiracies, and all things John Carpenter. Johnathon wonders when we all forgot how dumb we are when it comes to science. Levi decries the lack of sophistication in the broad strokes of dystopian fiction. Special guest David reminds the boys there are good reasons not to trust the government. Also, aliens.
The boys are 154 feet down in this episode, because the metric system is socialist propaganda. It's the last episode of shark month, and Matthew Modine brings the sketch as a creepy boat captain, although he can't hold a candle to Ryan Adams. Fear of the dark, getting over a bad breakup, shark shields, a pop star at the bottom of the ocean ... what more could you want?
Special guest Caleb returns to the show to help the boys figure out what went wrong (and right) with Deep Blue Sea (1999).
From Samuel Jackson's shocking and hilarious exit to Michael Rapaport's Shakespearean acting chops, everyone finds something to sink their teeth into.
Also, some JAWS followup from our previous episode and some belated praise for the late Richard Donner.
It's the 4th of July holiday, so the boys tackle the leviathan of all monster movies, Steven Spielberg's JAWS (1975). Levi comes prepared with the full compendium of problems that the production faced, revealing it to be a miracle that we got any film at all, much less a genre-defining classic. Johnathon shares his 9-year-old's thoughts on the mayor after watching it together for the first time.
Finally, Levi reveals a scandalous sexual confession. It's gonna be a hot podcaster summer, y'all.
This week finds the boys pondering the intricacies of modern romance with 2019's Midsommar. When does being a bad boyfriend justify being drugged, stuffed inside a dead bear, and burned alive, after the most awkward intimate encounter of your life? Is the burden of magical thinking and the surrender of reason worth the elimination of anxiety and loneliness? Are psychedelics really that much more potent in the Swedish hills?
Alternate title: Theses rhymes with feces.
This week finds the boys inventing words as they try to understand the ship design in their favorite horror-in-space flick from the 90s, Event Horizon. Sam Neil plays a demented physicist, so a fair amount of time is spent discussing their man crush. Johnathon wants to know why there are no interior decorators in space. Levi goes full Lovecraft (again).
Topics covered: math as demonology, latin as bad news, and what's up with the recent UFO discussions in the mainstream media?
Wes Craven's The People Under the Stairs (1991) was woke before woke was a thing -- but in a good way. The boys contemplate what we mean when we say something is woke, punching up versus punching down, context versus subject, and proper hunting attire. If you thought Pulp Fiction had a lock on creepy dudes in a leather gimp suit, think again.
Discussion of the movie's hero leads to a deep dive on the causes of procrastination and why we so often put off the things that are most important to our well being.
This week's topic is Saint Maud (2019), and the boys have nothing but praise. It's a feast of religious mania, horribly awkward eroticism, and the best final second of any movie in recent memory. When William Blake's paintings show up in a horror movie, you know things are about to go south in a hurry.
Watch Saint Maud on Amazon Prime.
This week the boys try a deep dive on Sam Raimi's Drag Me to Hell (2009) but quickly bang their heads on the shallow end of the pool. An effort to avoid cursing leads to mixed results (and a lot of bleeps). As always, they have questions. Is proportionality required for a movie to qualify as a morality play? Can horror movies use the trope of supernaturalism in other cultures as a source of mystique without being demeaning? Would Justin Long want to be Johnathon and Levi's best friend?
This one gets awkward in a hurry. This week the boys start with The Beast Within (1982) but quickly take a detour to the horrors of puberty. Topics discussed: the stark difference between depictions of violence in the recent past versus modern day, nostalgia's role in determining what we love, the use of birth control in special effects, and Levi's love for The Magnolia State.
Is there a better horror / science fiction crossover than Ridley Scott's Alien? The boys don't think so. This week they're joined by two special guests to discuss the making of a masterpiece, why prequels almost always suck, and the wonder that is Sigourney Weaver.
If you find yourself in the mood for a perfect cocktail to accompany your listening, check out this special episode from Griffith Goods and Spirits. They don't call it the chest burster for nothing.
If you think Godzilla's legacy is nothing more than silly movies featuring men in rubber suits stomping on model trains, then this week's episode is for you. An examination of 1954's Gojira finds the boys exploring some unexpectedly dark ruminations on technology and history — and humanity's tendency to get confused about both.
Levi defends Godzilla's place as the most iconic of all movie monsters, while Johnathon wonders if and when we'll ever account for all the losses of the COVID years.
Also, don't miss the new theme song in the intro. Long live the banjo.
Corn fields are creepy, and little kids are creepier still. The boys try to understand why short stories make better movie adaptations than novels. Levi shares his exhaustive list of horror shorts, and Johnathon confesses why dogs creep him out when they poop.
Also, whatever you do, don't get a degree in the humanities.
Levi's list of recommended horror stories:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1XBQmakZnZC8fdTrYos6AQOMEWP4y5umQN5HzZpGCnj4/edit?usp=sharing
This week the boys crush on Sam Neil and discuss what makes a good pseudonym, all while covering the third movie in John Carpenter's Apocalypse Trilogy, In the Mouth of Madness (1994). Levi defends the art of the downer ending in horror films. Johnathon throws some side eye at eco nihilism and fashionable misanthropy. And there's a healthy side tangent on everyone's favorite Carpathian from the Ghost Busters franchise.
This week finds the boys arguing over definitions, specifically the definition of a B movie. What makes a B movie? Is it the cast? The budget? Does our movie this week qualify? Levi says yes, while Johnathon isn't so sure. Everyone loves a lost colony mystery, which leads to a brief discussion of the Roanoke investigation. Trigger warning: sports metaphors.
What do you get when you combine xenophobia, an unrelenting atmosphere of dread, and fish people? An HP Lovecraft story, that’s what. This week the boys tackle Johnathon’s favorite Lovecraft adaptation for the screen, 1991’s Dagon. Levi doesn't want to cloud the episode with Lovecraft's personal life, so of course Johnathon brings it up immediately. Also, tentacles.
This week's movie is a litmus test for fans of horror. The House That Jack Built is a characteristically bitter piece of visual candy from Lars Von Trier, and oh do the boys have questions. Is interpreting art through the identity of the artist valid criticism or fashionable nonsense? Should viewers care whether artists are virtuous people? Are serial killers interesting? And is it okay to laugh while cringing?
This week the boys discuss the possibility of life in outer space, the wonders of Dee Wallace's filmography, the lack of adult supervision that kids enjoyed in the 80s, and why carpet on the toilet is always a bad idea. Also, don't give Levi a radio telescope, because he will unilaterally call the aliens.
Less than a week after the U.S. Capitol was stormed, the boys discuss irrational beliefs, the terror of the wilderness, the power of words, the ickyness of Puritans, and, oh yeah, Robert Eggers' The Witch
We can't wait to see 2020 end. But before it goes, we take a long look at Stephen King's first and only directorial effort, Maximum Overdrive. Easter eggs abound in the casting, as well as in the lore surrounding the drug-fueled production. In a movie filled with memorable deaths, we each pick a favorite. Finally, we discussed what each of us learned during 2020. Pop a bottle of champagne with us. And thanks for listening.
It's the end of the year and the boys have nothing but questions. Is A Christmas Carol a proper horror story? Was George C. Scott capable of portraying joy? Which three actors would portray our Xmas ghosts? Are people capable of genuine spiritual transformation?
What do you get when you combine a lunatic hiding in the attic of a sorority house with mean girls and drinking? 1974's Black Christmas, that's what. The boys lament that it took them so long to recognize this as the mother of all slasher films and consider how different it is from later entries in the genre.
This one has it all: John Saxon as the archetypal police detective, Margot Kidder before she was Lois Lane, a sorority house mom with a drinking problem, and the first-ever instance of the killer calling from inside the house.
The boys look at one of their very favorite seasonal disasters, 1984's Silent Night, Deadly Night. This one has it all: holiday murder sprees, horrible nuns, a demented grandfather, and a toy store with a selection to (literally) die for.
Levi bemoans the loss of innocence when belief in Santa wanes. Johnathon wants more Linnea Quiqley.
Also, Xmas is quite literally the darkest time of the year from our recording latitude. Science!
When he wasn't single-handedly creating the zombie genre, George Romero made his mark on just about every other corner of the horror filmverse. This week, the boys look at Season of the Witch and Martin.
The first is a film ostensibly about a 70s housewife finding liberation through witchcraft and mariticide; the second is one of the most original and disturbing takes on vampirism you'll ever see.
Also discussed: do a person's political leanings / ideology affect their reaction to horror stories?
Hat tip to Caleb for the title.
This week the boys take on the zombies of old, with a look at George Romero's 1978 classic Dawn of the Dead.
Levi wonders whether COVID fatigue is similar to zombie fatigue. In both cases, how long can the human spirit endure? Johnathon has kind words about the 2004 remake, despite its use of fast zombies.
And both wax nostalgic for the lost era of shopping malls.
It's election day in the United States, but Levi and Johnathon do their best to focus on supernatural monsters rather than literal ones. Is An American Werewolf in London the pinnacle of werewolf movies? What about the other pretenders to the throne?
This week the boys discuss John Carpenter's Prince of Darkness, a sci-fi / horror crossover that's too often overlooked among the director's more famous work. From there they jump right into the big questions. Which is scarier, theoretical physics or Alice Cooper? Will theaters ever recover after the COVID shutdowns? And who takes vacations in Oklahoma?
Johnathon and Levi celebrate the month of October with a special guest, and everyone has opinions about the 2018 not-quite-remake of Suspiria. Levi puts the movie on his October must-watch list, while Johnathon mumbles about the bona fides of Dario Argento's original. Also, everyone has thoughts about women and Joss Whedon.
What do homeless people do when they're denied social services, charity, and housing? They worship nuclear waste and transform into mutant cannibals. Except for Utah. In Utah they get a place to live. Johnathon and Levi cover every exquisite detail of CHUD, a cult classic.
Johnathon and Levi skip right over their collective jealousy of Kurt Russell's beard to mansplain why great practical effects will always beat CGI. Levi provides a precise measurement of the amount of KY Jelly needed to bring a shape-shifting alien parasite to life. Johnathon wonders whether Norwegians are better with explosives in real life. Finally, both of your hosts take a heavy detour into the debate over free will — while consistently stumbling over the world "cellular."
Shockwaves debuted in the same year as Star Wars: A New Hope. Surprisingly, fewer people stood in line to see it. Shockwaves stars Peter Cushing, David Caradine, and a group of stuntmen who got really, really good at holding their breath. Johnathon and Levi talk bathing suits, the lamentable persistence of fascism, and why the Victrola and the banjo are basically the same thing.
The only thing worse than sleep is not being able to get any. The boys segue from the phenomenon of COVID dreams to Wes Craven's Nightmare on Elm Street. Listen along for a deep dive on Johnny Depp's first major film role, the limitless number of sleep disorders, and what keeps your hosts up at night.
Is the Exorcist III better than the original? Maybe not, but it's still a terrific sequel with stand out performances by George C. Scott and Brad Dourif.
Johnathon and Levi discuss the lost art of monologuing, whether supernatural evil is de facto proof of supernatural good, and one of the best jump scares in the history of cinema.
Larry Cohen's 1974 horror film It's Alive is a forgotten (and surprisingly timeless) classic. Levi and Johnathon discuss the film's place in the canon of monster movies, the moral and ethical implications of birthing a monster, whether the philosophy of antinatalism has a leg to stand on, and why you should never mess with Mama Bear.