Guilty Pleasures

Welcome to NO NOTES, the show where three cerebral cinephiles take a break from chatting guilty pleasures to discuss cinematic treasures. Each month, we’ll take turns selecting a film we believe to be virtually flawless, one that had a significant impact on our lives and/or helped shape the film lover we became. 

For our second episode, it was Kelly’s pick. She put the spotlight on the criminally underrated 1974 rock-musical-comedy-horror film PHANTOM OF THE PARADISE, directed by Brian De Palma and scored by and starring Paul Williams. 

As Kelly argues for the film's place in the hallowed halls of cinematic perfection, she says:

“This movie means EVERYTHING to me. It’s so fearless and bold. Paul Williams is so funny. The visuals are so striking. The soundtrack is so catchy. There’s no lesson, and I love every goddamn second of it.”

Tune in to hear us wax poetic about this spellbinding work of renegade art and find out why we unanimously grant it NO NOTES status. 

Join the Guilty Pleasures crew as we continue the conversation, hanging out after the show, shooting the shit, and talking about all our thoughts and feelings on this month's featured film that we couldn't fit into our regular, hour-long episode.

We had an amazing time recording our Dead Silence episode (if you missed it, don't forget to tune in for a killer conversation). But we had so much to say on the subject that we needed more than our scheduled hour. On this after-show, we dig deeper into this polarizing early Aughts horror film and continue to argue its merits (or lack thereof).

Then we transition into nerdy film talk, including a discussion of our new spinoff NO NOTES podcast. We also discuss anime, real-life haunted (maybe) dolls, our love of shark horror, what we've been watching and what we're excited to watch, and more!

For Wahlberg Horror Month, we asked our adoring fans to choose between Donnie doing battle with a killer doll in James Wan’s DEAD SILENCE and Marky Mark battling killer trees in the beleaguered Shamalan flick THE HAPPENING. In an online vote, DEAD SILENCE easily took center stage, leaving THE HAPPENING flapping in the wind.   

So take a seat, boys and girls, as we start the show and find out if DEAD SILENCE is a killer pleasure or a guilty sin that we’re better off staying silent about.   

THIS MONTH'S THEMED SPIRIT: DONNIE'S DELIGHT

Shaek 1 1/2 ounces of vodka, 1 ounce of Irish Cream, 2 ounces of chocolate liqueur, and a dash of vanilla extract in a cocktail shaker with ice. Strain the contents of the shaker into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with chocolate shavings if desired.

Welcome to NO NOTES, the show where three cerebral cinephiles take a break from chatting guilty pleasures to discuss cinematic treasures. Each month, we’ll take turns selecting a film we believe to be virtually flawless, one that had a significant impact on our lives and/or helped shape the film lover we became.

For our premiere episode, it was Steph's pick. In honor of its 35th

As Steph argues for the film's place in the hallowed halls of cinematic perfection, she says, "As a tribute to childhood innocence, wonder, and familial love, MY NEIGHBOR TOTORO contains so many moments of pure cinematic magic. This is the kind of joyful work of art that makes you fall in love not just with a movie but with cinema itself."

Tune in to hear us wax poetic about this breathtaking work of art and find out why we unanimously grant it NO NOTES status.

Join the Guilty Pleasures crew as we continue the conversation, hanging out after the show, shooting the shit, and talking about all our thoughts and feelings on this month's featured film that we couldn't fit into our regular, hour-long episode.

We had an amazing time recording our Crimson Peak episode (if you missed it, don't forget to tune in for a killer conversation). But we had so much to say on the subject that we needed more than our scheduled hour. On this after-show, we dig a little deeper into this gothic gem, continue to argue its merits (this one was polarizing!), and share more fascinating BTS info.

Then, about 20 minutes in, we just start getting into nerdy film talk. Join us as we discuss our shared love of Crispin Glover, the horror of Lovecraft (both fictional and real), our favorite cosmic horror films, the separation of art from the artists (are all geniuses monsters?), our favorite films and filmmakers, and what we hope (and fear) we might be talking about on our next episode. If you listen, you'll get a much deeper understanding of who we are and what makes us tick as cinephiles. Plus, get some hints about what we might be covering in future episodes.

For Gothic Horror Month, we asked our adoring fans to choose between two star-studded but polarizing productions: 2012’s THE WOLFMAN and 2015’s Guillermo del Toro helmed CRIMSON PEAK. In an online vote, CRIMSON PEAK won by a blood-soaked landslide.  

So don your Victorian PJs and grab your candelabra as we explore

THIS MONTH'S THEMED SPIRIT: CRIMSON COCKTAIL

Fill two large glasses with a few cranberries and a small piece of rosemary, and muddle slightly. Fill with ice. Add 2 ounces each of vodka and 1/8 cranberry juice. Add ¼ cup each sparkling apple juice. Fill the rest of the way with ginger beer, and stir slightly to combine. If you

Welcome to Guilty Pleasures, the show where we put your prepubescent ass to bed so we can make out with our boyfriend and watch bad horror movies.  

This month, it was Stephanie's turn to pick the theme, and she decided to honor a staple of the genre and celebrate National Babysitter's Day (May 13). 

In honor of the occasion, we asked our adoring fans to choose a film for us to stay up late and drink lush lemonades with. You had to choose between the 2013 anthology horror film that first introduced Terrifier’s Art the Clown, ALL HALLOWS’ EVE…or the polarizing 2020 Netflix teen horror comedy THE BABYSITTER: KILLER QUEEN, the McG sequel to 2017’s THE BABYSITTER.

So put on your PJs, get tucked in tight, and let us tell you a bedtime story full of camp, carnage, and a killer scream queen. Does "The Babysitter: Killer Queen" deserve to be crowned a winner? Or is it more like a royal mess? And is it really a Guilty Pleasure? Let's find out together! 

THIS MONTH'S THEMED SPIRIT: LUSH LEMONADE

Pour 2 oz of Captain Morgan's original spiced rum (or spiced rum) over 2-3 ice cubes. Add one bottle of Mike's Hard Lemonade (or non-alcoholic lemonade equivalent). Stir gently and serve.

...

FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL TO VOTE FOR NEXT MONTH'S FILM:

Our Instagram handles are: Morbidly Beautiful @morbidlybeautifulhorror | Stephanie @srgreenhaw | Jack @jack_wells_author | Kelly @kellyemintzer

Follow Morbidly Beautiful on Twitter @xmorbidbeautyx or on Facebook.

We asked our adoring fans to choose this month's revenge horror film, between the 1974 rock opera horror film PHANTOM OF THE PARADISE and the 1989 slasher PHANTOM OF THE MALL: ERIC'S REVENGE. You chose the Mall over Paradise, which, back in the 80s and 90s, was pretty much the same thing!

Join us as we dive into the gory details, dish about sneaky snakes and awkward love affairs, wonder why the hell everybody was kung fu fighting, and ask, "Is this really a Guilty Pleasure?"

THIS MONTH'S THEMED SPIRIT: SWEET REVENGE (STRAWBERRY CURE)

If desired, rim an old-fashioned glass with sugar by rubbing a lemon wedge around the rim, then dipping it into a small plate of sugar. Fill the glass with ice, and pour one ounce of Sweet Revenge (strawberry liqueur), 2 ounces of club soda, and a splash of lemon juice. Stir well. Garnish with a lemon wheel.

Enjoy!

Welcome to Guilty Pleasures, a show where we take a gander at a modern-day horror film with a wee bit o’ silly and, hopefully, a whole lot of slay. This month, we’re celebrating the luck of the Irish with our St. Patrick’s Day special episode.

Join us as we dive into the gory details, dissect all the highlights and lowlights, debate the likability of accents and the enduring appeal of 80's music, and ask, "Is this really a Guilty Pleasure?"

Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add 4 ounces of Irish whiskey, 4 ounces of white cranberry juice (you can also use regular cranberry juice, but you'll need to add a couple of drops of green food coloring if you want the right color), and 2 ounces of Sour Apple Schnapps. Shake for 30 seconds. Serve in a martini glass and garnish with mint and sliced green apple if desired.

...

Be sure to join us next month when we'll be serving up revenge horror. You decide, is it PHANTOM OF THE PARADISE (1974) or PHANTOM OF THE MALL (1989)?

VOTE NOW!!

Welcome to Guilty Pleasures, the show where we dive into the horror films we can’t help but devour…even if they do raise our cholesterol and expand our waistlines. These films may not be good for us, but they make us forget the misery of existence for just a little while.

And that’s especially important as we’re dealing with the horror of Valentine’s Day. Or, as douchebag Detective Axel Palmer aptly describes it: the stupidest fucking holiday a greeting card company ever invented.

That’s right, we’re talking about 2009’s campy 3D spectacle and 80s horror remake, MY BLOODY VALENTINE. We let our social media followers pick this month’s V-Day-themed episode, and it was a landslide 2-to-1 victory for MY BLOODY VALENTINE, beating out 2001’s VALENTINE.

Join us as we dive into the gory details, dissect all the highlights and lowlights, drool over Jensen Ackles, and ask, "Is this really a Guilty Pleasure?"

Our cocktail of choice for this killer anti-love day episode is the easy-to-make and quite tasty 'Bloody Valentine'. If you'd like to imbibe alongside us, here's how to do it.

Place 2 ounces of white rum, 3/4 ounces of peach schnapps, and 3 ounces of black cherry juice, along with 2 tsp Grenadine, in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake for about 10 seconds to mix—strain into a martini glass or pour over ice into a rocks glass with a sugared rim. Garnish with a fresh or maraschino cherry, if desired.