Dear Final Girl

Dear Final Girl dances into the story of a girl, her mother, and the movie that shaped a lifelong love of horror. This week's origin story comes from writer Valerie Thompson (@ValMThompson).  

This week Tam and Laura reflect on the memorable Horror Origin story submitted by horrorfam favorite @NoKimOnlyZuul. Talking about her earliest experiences with horror gets our intrepid two pondering their own teenage perspectives. It's all in a day's work for a true final girl.  

Leigh Evans (Night of the Horrorphile) discusses how he identified with Leatherface's Texas Chainsaw Massacre, his parents' own devotion to horror films, the harsher realities of growing up in the South, and finding joy in real darkness through horror. 

This week Laura and Tam look out for their friend TJ Denton, artist extraordinaire for Joe Bob's The Last Drive-In, as he helps his mother cope with a painful loss.The episode features the dark and magical film The Lovely Bones (2009), explores the five stages of grief, and how we keep moving forward in difficult times.

It's all about staying in this week as Tamara and Laura catch a case of Cabin Fever. This time our intrepid hosts are on a quest to discover if the 2016 remake helps break those self isolation blues.

An unforeseen phenomenon pitting science against fear? Some things never change as Dear Final Girl rediscovers 1978's Invasion of the Body Snatchers. A young Donald Sutherland, a bagpipe screeched chorus of Amazing Grace, and a still surprising ending leave our hosts to ponder the concepts of strangers in a not so strange land. 

On this installment of Horrorigin Stories, Jimmy Detroit talks Dracula, Milwaukee's classic Nightmare Theater with Dr. Cadaverino, finding horror magic at the public library, and how his mom helped him navigate fear. All this plus what it felt like to earn every kid's badge of honor: staying up late -- and staying awake -- to watch scary movies.

Adapting to extreme conditions can require extreme measures. Laura and Tam find lessons in A Quiet Place for a Final Girl who knows what it's like to tiptoe through threatening situations. Building a life that works when chaos is swirling around you isn't easy. But it's what we do if we want to survive and claim happiness.

In this week's Horrorigin Story, Chris (@boobafett69) shares his memories of watching scary movies in a packed theatre. Chris and Laura share an early link to When A Stranger Calls, and Chris reminds us of the thrill of watching horror late at night on a tiny TV. 

On this episode of Dear Final Girl, Tamara and Laura deal with the serious topics surrounding addiction as well as the helplessness of watching someone go through its devastation. It's a chance for the pair to delve into Pet Sematary, a film that has both detractors and ardent followers.