Grave Discussions

The "Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark" books captivated and terrified children in the 80s and 90s by introducing shocking imagery and impactful writing - it also helped shape a new generation of horror fans! Now the 2019 film will try to do the same. In this episode, Barnabas and Samael offer their exclusive review and discuss how the film foregoes standard anthology structure and still attempts to introduce various stories from the book series. Other horror anthologies are featured too with "Trilogy of Terror" in the Cult Corner and Hulu's "The Field Guide to Evil" on the Chopping Block!

A villain as old as time and perhaps the greatest perceived evil in all of cinema, the devil has likely been portrayed more than any other figure. In horror, those portrayals have been simultaneously criticized and praised by watchful eyes, and while many feel similar, some introduce Satan in incredibly unique ways. In this episode, Barnabas and the devilish Samael examine those portrayals, highlighting "The Devil's Advocate" in the Cult Corner and Shudder original "I Trapped the Devil" on the Chopping Block!

Peanut butter and jelly... drugs, , and rock and roll; some things just go together, but horror and comedy? In this episode, Barnabas and Samael examine the gut-busting wit and humor that have turned some terrifying cinematic situations into rollicking adventures, paying special attention to "Tucker & Dale vs. Evil." As part of the hilarious discussion, Mel Brooks's "Dracula: Dead & Loving It" is featured in the Cult Corner and spooky new Shudder original "Deadtectives" hits the Chopping Block!

Looking forward, 2019 felt like a promising, if not questionable, year for the horror genre. A smorgasbord of remakes, spinoffs, and adaptations was slated and irate fans echoed the frustrations of prior years; arthouse horror, on the other hand, only further affirmed that it was here to stay. Midway through 2019, Barnabas and Samael use this episode of Grave Discussions to examine what has happened in horror, their takeaways from it, and what they look forward to in the back half of the year. And it wouldn't be summertime without some drunk college kids and dead bodies! Grab a cocktail and check out "Club Dread" in the Cult Corner and "Party Hard, Die Young" on the Chopping Block.

Ari Aster continues to have one of the most explosive and controversial debuts in horror with the feverish, broad-day depiction of folk horror that is "Midsommar." A journey in and of itself, the sophomore project is examined in spoiler-free detail by Barnabas and Samael in this exclusive review episode. Does it stack up to Hereditary, or is this a different experience altogether? The devilish duo also tackles the inevitable comparisons to "The Wicker Man" by covering the original film in the Cult Corner and then check out the new splatter-fest "Book of Monsters" on the Chopping Block!

Modern horror's favorite haunted doll, Annabelle, conjures up a plethora of entities and scares in the newest franchise installment "Annabelle Comes Home." In this episode, Barnabas and Samael heed the call and offer their thoughts in an exclusive review. Also, teens get possessed in the surrounding segments which feature "Night of the Creeps" in the Cult Corner and "Soul to Keep" on this week's Chopping Block.

It's finally time to play, buddies! With a fresh new look, personality, and voice, Chucky has returned to the silver screen in Lars Klevberg's "Child's Play" for one more scare... and Barnabas and Samael emerge from their crypts to give you an exclusive review! As long-time fans of the quintessential killer doll, find out what the pair think about the newest iteration. In a similarly technology-inclined Cult Corner, "Chopping Mall" is featured, and the Chopping Block offers the new folk horror movie "Hagazussa."

One of the most divisive horror films of the year, Lars Klevberg's "Child's Play", aims to turn the killer doll subgenre of horror on its head. But before that, Barnabas and Samael return to offer their list of the must-see movies featuring the porcelain puppets and mannequins that have terrorized viewers for decades. Leading up, the original 1988 "Child's Play" is examined in the Cult Corner, and the newest Into the Dark installment, "They Come Knocking", is featured on the Chopping Block!

In 1982, two horror icons joined forces for an unprecedented genre experience. "Creepshow" became the fevered brainchild of George A. Romero and Stephen King and the epitome of a practical horror anthology; now, Greg Nicotero and Shudder join forces to revive the classic film as a streaming series! In this episode, Barnabas and Samael discuss the upcoming project and the stories it aims to tell in undoubtedly brutal fashion. Also featured are underdog cult classic "Phantasm" and Australian creature feature "Boar"!

Monsters come in all shapes and sizes; some can be very human and terrifying in ways that we can understand, and some can be living incarnations of prehistoric titans, primal beings with only one goal: domination. Either way, there would be no horror without these wicked forces! In the first ever double feature review episode, Barnabas and Samael discuss two films poised to kick off a historically horrific summer season: Ma and Godzilla: King of the Monsters.