Burn After Watching

Today, we dive headfirst into James Cameron’s latest bioluminescent fever dream: Avatar: Fire and Ash. From Zoe Saldaña’s terrifying archery skills as Neytiri to Sigourney Weaver’s ongoing role as the teenaged Kiri.

In this episode Dan and Alex explore two classic horror films to close the Spooktober month!

First, we’ll step into the quiet suburban streets of Haddonfield, Illinois, in John Carpenter’s Halloween, where a silent, masked killer returns to destroy the innocence of a teenage babysitter and her friends. Then we’ll move into the cramped and ornate New York apartment building of Rosemary’s Baby (1968), where Mia Farrow’s Rosemary slowly realises that the people she trusts—and the space she inhabits—are conspiring to betray her, to take control of her body and her baby.

In this episode, we explore two very different but intimately related visions of haunted homes: the suburban nightmare of Poltergeist, and the bizarre, labyrinthine nightmare of Thir13en Ghosts. We begin with the now-classic 1982 film Poltergeist, directed by Tobe Hooper (with heavy involvement by Steven Spielberg), where the typical American family’s home becomes the nexus of malevolent, other-worldly activity. We’ll unpack the mythic wife, mother, daughter, and the youngest child Carol Anne who is drawn into a spectral portal—and how the film taps into suburban anxieties, grief, and the invasion of domestic space.

Then we shift to the 2001 remake/modern re-imagining Thir13en Ghosts, directed by Steve Beck, where a widower and his children inherit an eccentric uncle’s mansion—only to discover it’s a glass-paneled machine, a trap filled with twelve (actually thirteen) vengeful spirits. We’ll examine how the film transforms the haunted house into a literal machine of horror, how it uses spectacle, design, and mythic structure of ghosts.

In this episode, we cover the classic supernatural horror of The Conjuring (2013) and the visceral occult dread of Bring Her Back (2025). James Wan builds dread through restraint, how the real-life framing of the Perron family story shapes the narrative, and why this film has become a cornerstone of the modern haunted-house canon. Then we shift to Bring Her Back, the potent new horror film by Danny and Michael Philippou, exploring its audacious moments, psychological ruptures, and how it plays with expectations of possession, grief, and motherhood.

In this episode, we take a deep dive into Andy Muschietti’s two-part adaptation of Stephen King’s It, exploring both the chilling 2017 installment and its sprawling 2019 sequel. From Pennywise’s unsettling smile to the emotional bonds of the Losers’ Club, we break down how these films capture (and sometimes struggle to capture) King’s massive novel.

We begin with It (2017), a story rooted in childhood fears, nostalgia, and the vulnerability of youth. The hosts explore how the film re-imagines Derry in the late ’80s, the chemistry of the young cast, and how Bill Skarsgård’s Pennywise became an instant horror icon. We also reflect on how the movie blends coming-of-age drama with supernatural terror, creating one of the most commercially successful horror films ever.

Moving to It Chapter Two (2019), the conversation shifts to how the same characters—now adults—struggle to face old traumas while reconnecting with their forgotten pasts. The hosts discuss the casting choices (James McAvoy, Jessica Chastain, Bill Hader, and others), the challenges of juggling timelines, and how comedy, horror, and drama often collide—sometimes beautifully, sometimes awkwardly. The ambitious runtime and heavy use of CGI are debated, alongside standout performances like Bill Hader’s Richie and the film’s haunting exploration of memory, friendship, and fear.

Join Borderlnd and Mary as they dive deep into Ari Aster’s hotly debated 2025 film Eddington, starring Joaquin Phoenix, Pedro Pascal, Emma Stone, Austin Butler, Luke Grimes, Deirdre O’Connell, Micheal Ward, and Amélie Hoeferle. Directed and written by Ari Aster, this socio‑political modern Western unfolds in fictional Eddington, New Mexico during the early weeks of May 2020, against the backdrop of Covid‑19, Black Lives Matter protests, and online conspiracy culture...

This week, we cover 3 of the year’s biggest and most talked-about cinematic events: James Gunn’s Superman (2025), the high-octane thriller F1 from Joseph Kosinski and Brad Pitt, and the long-awaited return to Danny Boyle’s post-apocalyptic universe in 28 Years Later.

Alex and Dan break down the new Karate Kid (2025) starring Ben Wang and Jackie Chan, directed by Jonathan Entwistle, and revisit the entire franchise—from Ralph Macchio and Pat Morita to Jaden Smith and Hilary Swank. A nostalgic, roundhouse-kick journey through every crane kick and comeback.

This week we discuss Alex Garland's Warfare, following up Civil War from 2024, with a young upcoming group of actors in this technical marvel + We talked about Ryan Coogler's Sinners starring Michael B. Jordan in an Culture Soaked Horror Thriller.

Bonus story time at the end of the Ep, about me scarring some kids in the cinema.

We watched A Minecraft Movie by Jared Hess staring Jack Black so you dont have to suffer through it. The film is one of the worst of the year (but Tiktok made it worst for everyone)