FILM RANKINGS UPDATED AFTER EVERY EPISODE!!!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Today’s film is Macabre (1958), the one where William Castle was so confident someone might literally die from watching it, he handed out life insurance at the door. Bold move for a movie that feels like it was written in crayon during a thunderstorm. It’s got missing kids, graveyards, melodrama cranked to eleven, and a plot that unfolds like a soap opera having a nervous breakdown. Scary? Debatable. Entertaining? Absolutely—especially if you enjoy being aggressively warned that danger is coming any minute now… seriously… any… minute…

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Our Film Rankings:

⁠⁠⁠128 - Film Rankings After Macabre (1958)

Email us:

[email protected]

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Episode Segments:

1. Welcome
2. Outside The Podcast Discussion
3. Breaking News
4. What Is This Film About? - Synopsis and Themes &Insights (curated by Sunni)
5. Vital Statistics
6. Things That Happen In The Film
7. Inspirations (Curated by James)
8. Trivia
9. Critical Reception (Including our rankings)
10. Final Thoughts

Music:

Exit The Premises, Loping Stings, Funky One

By Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0

https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Breaking News Intro

By: Luis Humanoide (Via pixabay)

Chapter Two of our Atomic Monsters and Mutations Deep Dive moves into the shadowy world of the 1930s and 1940s, where mad science reigned and monsters were born in laboratories, not radioactive wastelands—at least not yet. This era gave us twisted geniuses, doomed experiments, and the first cinematic warnings that progress without conscience might be the real horror. From Frankenstein to wartime propaganda, we explore how early science-gone-wrong stories laid the psychological and thematic groundwork for the atomic nightmares still to come.

FILMS DISCUSSED IN THIS EPISODE:

Frankenstein (1931), Island Of Lost Souls (1932) The Invisible Man (1933), Bride Of Frankenstein (1935), Dr. Cyclopse (1940), The Devil Commands (1941), The Ape Man (1943)

Instagram:

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Email us:

[email protected]

Find our store on Facebook and Instagram:

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Music:

Waltz Primordial, Galactic Rap, Exit The Premises

By Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0

https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

FILM RANKINGS UPDATED AFTER EVERY EPISODE!!!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Today’s film is Devil’s Pass (2013), a found-footage adventure where a group of students hikes into the snowy Russian wilderness to solve a decades-old mystery and—shocker—things go horribly wrong. It’s got time loops, teleportation theories, mutant nonsense, and the kind of decision-making that really makes you question how anyone in this group got accepted to college. Basically, it’s The Blair Witch Project in a snowsuit, with a healthy dose of Reddit conspiracy energy and absolutely no one saying, “Maybe let’s not do this.”

Instagram:

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Our Film Rankings:

⁠⁠127 - Film Rankings After Devil's Pass

Email us:

[email protected]

Find our store on Facebook and Instagram:

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.facebook.com/ashanddreamsokc⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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Episode Segments:

1. Welcome
2. Outside The Podcast Discussion
3. Breaking News
4. What Is This Film About? - Synopsis and Themes &Insights (curated by Sunni)
5. Vital Statistics
6. Things That Happen In The Film
7. Inspirations (Curated by James)
8. Trivia
9. Critical Reception (Including our rankings)
10. Final Thoughts

Music:

Exit The Premises, Loping Stings, Bummin On Tremelo

By Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0

https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Breaking News Intro

By: Luis Humanoide (Via pixabay)

Welcome to Chapter One of our Atomic Monsters and Mutations Deep Dive, where we trace the monstrous roots all the way back to the silent era. Long before mushroom clouds haunted the collective imagination, early cinema was already conjuring creatures to embody fear, science, and the unknown. From Georges Méliès' trick films to the haunting expressionism of Metropolis, we explore how pre-atomic monsters laid the groundwork for a new era of cinematic horror, one where the real terror wouldn’t come from the supernatural, but from science itself.

FILMS DISCUSSED IN THIS EPISODE:

A Trip To The Moon (1902), Frankenstein (1910), The Golem: How He Came into the World (1920), The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920), Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1920), Metropolis (1927)

Instagram:

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/a.darkish.cinema.podcast/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Email us:

[email protected]

Find our store on Facebook and Instagram:

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.facebook.com/ashanddreamsokc⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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Music:

Waltz Primordial, Galactic Rap, Exit The Premises

By Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0

https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

FILM RANKINGS UPDATED AFTER EVERY EPISODE!!!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Today’s film is Plan 9 from Outer Space (1957), a bold cinematic experiment in what happens when you have no budget, no continuity, and absolutely no idea how outer space (or plots) work. Aliens in figure skating uniforms arrive to stop highly disorganized and disoriented humans from destroying the universe. In a bewildering twist of storytelling genius, they believe the best way to do this by using three very confused zombies. Sets collapse if you look at them too hard, and half the cast seems genuinely unsure about why they’re there. Bela Lugosi somehow stars despite being dead, Criswell opens with a monologue about “future events such as these” like he’s reading from a haunted Mad Libs book, Tor Johnson moves through the film like someone who just learned what legs are, and isn’t entirely convinced they’re working properly, and Vampira glides around in a shredded dress like she just lost a knife fight with a curtain. It’s sincere, incompetent, and accidentally iconic. This truly is cinema’s most beautiful trainwreck.

Instagram:

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/a.darkish.cinema.podcast/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Our Film Rankings:

⁠126 - Film Rankings After Plan 9 From Outer Space

Email us:

[email protected]

Find our store on Facebook and Instagram:

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.facebook.com/ashanddreamsokc⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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Episode Segments:

1. Welcome
2. Outside The Podcast Discussion
3. Breaking News
4. What Is This Film About? - Synopsis and Themes &Insights (curated by Sunni)
5. Vital Statistics
6. Things That Happen In The Film
7. Inspirations (Curated by James)
8. Trivia
9. Critical Reception (Including our rankings)
10. Final Thoughts

Music:

Exit The Premises, Loping Stings, Aerosol Of My Love

By Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0

https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Breaking News Intro

By: Luis Humanoide (Via pixabay)

SEASON 2 REVISED RANKINGS

We’re back! After an incredibly long wait... of 48 hours, season 2 kicks off with a fresh batch of chaos, carnage, and cinematic weirdness. After surviving 25 films and a Mondo deep dive in Season 1, we’re diving even deeper into the bizarre, the brutal, and the just plain baffling. New movies, new subgenres, same unhealthy obsession with things that should not be moving on their own. Buckle up! Season 2 starts now, and it’s already getting weird.

Instagram:

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/a.darkish.cinema.podcast/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Our Film Rankings:

⁠⁠Season 2 Revised Rankings

Email us:

[email protected]

Find our store on Facebook and Instagram:

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.facebook.com/ashanddreamsokc⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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Music:

Exit The Premises

By Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0

https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

SEASON 1 FINAL RANKINGS

It’s the Season Finale! After 25 films and one deep dive into the chaotic world of Mondo cinema, we’re wrapping things up for season one. In this episode, we reflect on the weird, wild, and wonderfully messed-up movies we covered this season, from subterranean nightmares and folk horrors to sentient girlfriends and budgetary issues involving sausages. Join us as we look back, rank a few favorites, a few least favorites and question the life choices of fictional characters. What fresh horrors will we unleash next season? Only time will tell.

Instagram:

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/a.darkish.cinema.podcast/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Our Film Rankings:

⁠All Rankings From Season 1

Email us:

[email protected]

Find our store on Facebook and Instagram:

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.facebook.com/ashanddreamsokc⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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Music:

Exit The Premises

By Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0

https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

FILM RANKINGS UPDATED AFTER EVERY EPISODE!!!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Today we look at Terrified (2017), a film where your dream home includes aggressive wall thumping, questionable plumbing, and a corpse that does stuff. Not a lot, mind you. Just stuff. It’s a relentless series of “absolutely not” moments strung together by scientists who have clearly never read a single warning label in their lives. If you’ve ever thought, “I wish Paranormal Activity had more water damage,” this one’s for you. Also, there's something about interdimensional demons... I think... but I also don't know either.

Instagram:

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/a.darkish.cinema.podcast/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Our Film Rankings:

125 - Film Rankings After Terrified (2017)

Email us:

[email protected]

Find our store on Facebook and Instagram:

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.facebook.com/ashanddreamsokc⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/ashanddreamsokc/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Music:

Exit The Premises, Loping Stings, Blue Ska

By Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0

https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

FILM RANKINGS UPDATED AFTER EVERY EPISODE!!!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Today’s film is Absentia (2011), a deeply unsettling slow burn where grief, addiction, and supernatural horror all meet in the world’s most depressing pedestrian tunnel. It’s part family drama, part urban legend, and part “maybe don’t walk toward strange noises under bridges.” With quietly devastating performances, creepy atmosphere, and a budget smaller than your last grocery run, Absentia proves you don’t need flashy effects to absolutely wreck your nerves. It’s low-key terrifying in the best way. You’ll never look at tunnels the same way again.

Instagram:

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/a.darkish.cinema.podcast/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Our Film Rankings:

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠124 - Film Rankings After Absentia (2011)⁠

Email us:

[email protected]

Find our store on Facebook and Instagram:

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.facebook.com/ashanddreamsokc⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/ashanddreamsokc/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Music:

Exit The Premises, Loping Stings, Vivacity

By Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0

https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

FILM RANKINGS UPDATED AFTER EVERY EPISODE!!!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Today’s film is THEM! (1954), the atomic-age classic where mankind’s scientific hubris meets its match in the form of... giant, incredibly loud ants. It’s equal parts monster movie, procedural thriller, and public service announcement about not messing with nature, or vacationing in New Mexico. Featuring serious men in serious hats, surprisingly effective special effects, and a sound design that will live in your nightmares, THEM! is the gold standard for 1950s creature features. Come for the ants, stay for the genuine tension and the reminder that radiation really is the ultimate movie villain.

Instagram:

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/a.darkish.cinema.podcast/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Our Film Rankings:

⁠⁠⁠123 - Film Rankings After THEM! (1954)

Email us:

[email protected]

Find our store on Facebook and Instagram:

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.facebook.com/ashanddreamsokc⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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Music:

Exit The Premises, Loping Stings, Whisky On The Mississippi

By Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0

https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/