A.J. Chat

Freddy Krueger was supposed to be a killer who attacked people in their dreams. Apparently, nobody told the people making the sequel.

In this episode of A.J. Chat, we revisit A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy's Revenge (1985) and examine why it feels so disconnected from the rest of the franchise. From Freddy possessing Jesse Walsh and physically emerging into the real world to the infamous pool party massacre, the movie introduces an entirely different set of supernatural rules without really explaining them.

There are some genuinely effective horror moments and memorable practical effects, but the story raises more questions than it answers. And when Dream Warriors returns to the original formula, the entire possession storyline is practically forgotten.

Maybe Freddy's Revenge wasn't a terrible horror movie. Maybe it was just the wrong kind of Nightmare on Elm Street movie.

Nearly thirty years after the original, I Know What You Did Last Summer returns with a new group of characters, a familiar fisherman, and a couple of survivors who probably should have stayed out of it.

In this episode of A.J. Chat, we review I Know What You Did Last Summer (2025) and discuss why this legacy sequel fails to capture what made the 1997 original entertaining. From underdeveloped characters and a weak central mystery to the return of Jennifer Love Hewitt and Freddie Prinze Jr., there's plenty of missed potential.

But the biggest problem is the ending. What should have been an opportunity to explore the lasting consequences of the original movie instead becomes a questionable twist that undermines one of its most recognizable characters.

Spoiler warning: This review discusses the killers' identities and the ending.

Some TV shows weren't made specifically for Halloween, but watching them in October just felt different.

In this episode of A.J. Chat, we revisit the nostalgic TV shows that became part of our Halloween memories, including Goosebumps, Are You Afraid of the Dark?, The X-Files, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, and The Simpsons. Whether they were genuinely scary, filled with supernatural mysteries, or simply had the perfect autumn atmosphere, these shows made October television feel special.

Sometimes Halloween nostalgia isn't about a particular holiday special. It's about the shows we happened to be watching when the evenings got darker, the weather turned colder, and Halloween was right around the corner.

Before streaming, you didn’t have to search for Halloween entertainment. Once October arrived, television brought Halloween to you.

In this episode of A.J. Chat, we revisit forgotten Halloween specials and TV traditions that once returned every year, including Garfield’s Halloween Adventure, The Halloween Tree, Mr. Boogedy, and Disney’s strange collection of animated Halloween specials.

Many of these shows haven’t completely disappeared, but the tradition surrounding them has. We gained the ability to watch almost anything whenever we want, but lost some of the fun of turning on the TV and discovering that Halloween had officially arrived.

A new episode of A.J. Chat drops tomorrow.

Another deep dive into movies, television, pop culture, and the stories behind why certain moments, characters, and trends stick with us long after the credits roll.

🎧 New episode tomorrow.

Fall brings cooler weather, changing routines, earlier sunsets, and a few new things for dog owners to think about.

In this episode of A.J. Chat, we talk with Cedar Lake Doodles about keeping dogs happy, healthy, and safe throughout the fall. We discuss seasonal allergies, things dogs can get into outdoors, signs they may not be feeling well, staying visible on evening walks, adjusting exercise as temperatures cool down, and preparing dogs for Halloween.

We also talk about bringing home a puppy during the fall and get an update on what’s happening at Cedar Lake Doodles, including their current puppies and upcoming litters.

A new episode of A.J. Chat drops tomorrow.

Another deep dive into movies, television, pop culture, and the stories behind why certain moments, characters, and trends stick with us long after the credits roll.

🎧 New episode tomorrow.

A new episode of A.J. Chat drops tomorrow.

Another deep dive into movies, television, pop culture, and the stories behind why certain moments, characters, and trends stick with us long after the credits roll.

🎧 New episode tomorrow.

Every generation thinks its entertainment looks modern until enough time passes for everyone to wonder what we were thinking.

In this episode of A.J. Chat, we look at entertainment trends from the 2020s that future audiences may find incredibly dated. From multiverse overload and endless nostalgia to digital de-aging, influencer casting, self-aware humor, and AI-generated entertainment, some of today’s biggest trends could eventually become instant timestamps for this era.

That doesn’t mean these trends are all bad. Some have produced genuinely great movies and television. But twenty years from now, we may be explaining that you really had to be there.

Growing up, movies and TV made adulthood look pretty great. You had a huge apartment, an exciting career, enough money to go out whenever you wanted, and somehow your entire friend group was always free at the same time.

In this episode of A.J. Chat, we look back at shows and movies like Friends, Sex and the City, 13 Going on 30, The Devil Wears Prada, and Emily in Paris that gave us a slightly questionable idea of what growing up would actually look like.

The apartments got smaller, the schedules got busier, and somehow nobody warned us that planning dinner with friends would require three weeks' notice.