Welcome to The Rise of the Cordyceps Infected: A Last of Us Podcast. We discuss weekly each episode of the television series THE LAST OF US seen on HBOMax.

Some pretty solid independent horror films are always the surprises each year. A small budget horror film from Connecticut, USA, just arrived entitled CANDLEWOOD, based off local legends.

From IMDB: A mixed family moves from the city to a remote village, buying a house unseen. Unwelcoming locals and a real urban legend threaten their new life as they confront the property's dark history.

Your podcast hosts were able to interview the director, Mike Furhman, along with Kristi Schoonover who had a small part in the film. After its limited theatrical release, it is now available on VOD everywhere.

Legends, myths, and folklore are a perfect place to dig for ideas to bring life to a horror film. But what if you combine such a thing with the gangster and revenge thriller subgenres? That's when you get the brand new Japanese film DEMON CITY (2025) based off a manga and anime.

From IMDB: Framed for his family's murder and left for dead, an ex-hitman will stop at nothing to exact revenge on the masked "demons" who have taken over his city.

Director Seiji Tanaka had his debut film MELANCHOLIC (2018) win multiple awards at festivals like the Tokyo International Film Festival and the Udine Far East Film Festival. His latest stars Toma Ikuta, Masahiro Higashide, and Miou Tanaka. DEMON CITY was released in Q1 of 2025 on Netflix. Your co-hosts take a look at the film and give their thoughts.

IN THE BEDROOM, the 2001 Oscar nominated motion picture, was given praise by movie critic Roger Ebert as the best film he had seen at Sundance. It is a family drama, but it also is much more than that. Generational, getting old, losing a loved one, and seeing the end of a family line. The movie was ground breaking in many ways and has become a classic.

From IMDB: A New England couple’s college-aged son dates an older woman who has two small children and an unwelcome ex-husband.

The film was directed by Todd Field who also acts. He co-wrote the script with Robert Festinger based off the story KILLINGS by Andre Dubus. The cast is filled with big names including Sissy Spacek, Tom Wilkinson, Marisa Tomei, Nick Stahl, and William Mapother. It received fabulous reviews and earned over $40M USD at the box office. Your co-hosts take a look at this classic film and give their thoughts.

Welcome to The Rise of the Cordyceps Infected: A Last of Us Podcast. We discuss weekly each episode of the television series THE LAST OF US seen on HBOMax.

666, the number of the beast. Dark Discussions podcast has reached the 666th episode, and we decided to choose satanic horror as our special milestone episode. And we chose an obscure and yet fabulous 1960 Christopher Lee film entitled THE CITY OF THE DEAD.

From IMDB: A young college student arrives in a sleepy Massachusetts town to research witchcraft; during her stay at an eerie inn, she discovers a startling secret about the town and its inhabitants.

The movie was produced by a small production company, and the film landed up in public domain for years. Fortunately, it has been remastered and is finally available in pristine form. Titled THE CITY OF THE DEAD in the UK, it was released in the states and is known by the alternate title HORROR HOTEL. Your cohosts take a look at this classic film on their 666th episode. Thanks for joining us in our journey.

Welcome to The Rise of the Cordyceps Infected: A Last of Us Podcast. We discuss weekly each episode of the television series THE LAST OF US seen on HBOMax.

The V/H/S found footage film franchise has been a huge success. Cheap to make, bringing in established and up-and-coming talent, both behind the camera and on the pen, the series has made a ton of money and brought us some solid found footage in an anthology format. The latest in the franchise is V/H/S BEYOND (2024) which links together shorts mostly based upon visitors from another planet.

From IMDB: Six bloodcurdling tapes unleash horror in a sci-fi inspired hellscape, pushing the boundaries of fear and suspense.

The talent behind the camera includes Jordan Downey, Jay Cheel, Virat Pal, Justin Martinez, Kate Siegel, and Justin and Christian Long. The film was one of the highest rated in the franchise by critics, and received a release in September 2024 on the streaming service Shudder. Your co-hosts take a look at this film and give their thoughts.

Robots and artificial intelligence seems to be the wave of the future. There have been a number of interesting films discussing such a thing including SUBSERVIENCE (2024) and THE ARTIFICE GIRL (2023). Now the latest in the horror subgenre is COMPANION.

From IMDB: A weekend getaway with friends at a remote cabin turns into chaos after it’s revealed that one of the guests is not what they seem.

Directed and written by Drew Hancock, the film stars Sophie Thatcher, Jack Quaid, among others. The film was released on January 31st, 2025 and has received splendid reviews by both critics and audiences alike. Your co-hosts take a look at the movie and give their thoughts.

Holiday films are themselves a subgenre of slasher films. For St. Valentine’s Day, we’ve had a few examples including VALENTINE (2001) and MY BLOODY VALENTINE (1989 and 2009). Now in 2025, we have a brand new one entitled HEART EYES.

From IMDB: For the past several years, the “Heart Eyes Killer” has wreaked havoc on Valentine’s Day by stalking and murdering romantic couples. This Valentine’s Day, no couple is safe.

The film is directed by Josh Ruben and written by Philip Murphy, Christopher Landon, and Michael Kennedy. The cast includes Olivia Holt and Mason Gooding. Released on February 7th, 2025, the movie has received phenomenal reviews. Your co-hosts take a look at the movie and give their thoughts.