Hack or Slash - A Horror Movie Review Podcast

Send us Fan Mail

This week we’re unpacking Crystal Lake (2026), Episode 1: “Camp Crystal.” We examine Linda Cardellini’s portrayal of Pamela Voorhees, debate the circumstances surrounding Jason’s drowning, and dissect the premiere’s bloody turn into survival horror. 

Watch the Show

Crystal Lake (2026)

Related Episodes

027: Friday the 13th Part 2 (1981)

127: Friday the 13th Part III (1982)

167: Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter (1984)

213: Friday the 13th: A New Beginning (1985)

254: Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives (1986)

295: Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood (1988)

348: Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan (1989)

367: Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday (1993)

395: Jason X (2001)

436: Freddy vs. Jason (2003)

Main Episode

Friday the 13th Prequel Series “Crystal Lake” Premieres October 15 on Peacock

Friday the 13th (1980)

Friday the 13th (2009)

Halloween (1978)

Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace (1999)

Bride of Chucky (1998)

The Mummy (1999)

Crystal Lake Memories: The Complete History of Friday the 13th (2013)

The Don Knotts Show

Three’s Company

Support the show

Thanks for listening to Hack or Slash! Want more from the show? 

Join us on Patreon for extended episodes, bonus reviews, B-sides, watchalongs, behind-the-scenes extras, and more ways to help keep the show alive and slashing.

• Support us on Patreon

You can also hang out with us between episodes in our community spaces. Join the Discord for watch parties, episode discussions, horror recommendations, and general spooky nonsense.

• Join our Discord

Follow Hack or Slash:

• Website
• YouTube
• Reddit
• Instagram
• TikTok

Have thoughts on this week’s movie? Leave a comment, send us a voicemail, or tag us online. We love hearing your thoughts on the movies we cover.

Happy slashing!

Music Credits: "Hack or Slash" by Daniel Stapleton

Send us Fan Mail

This week we’re resurrecting Bride of Chucky (1998). We celebrate Jennifer Tilly’s Tiffany, dissect the film’s Bride of Frankenstein parallels, and marvel at its practical doll effects. In this episode's b-side, we debate horror’s most toxic relationships and where mutual dysfunction gives way to manipulation. This episode contains spoilers, beginning at 25:09.

Mentioned in the Episode

Watch the Film

Bride of Chucky (1998)

Main Episode

Chucky Creator Don Mancini on Why It Was Time to Bring Everyone’s Favorite Killer Doll to TV, Exclusive Interview

NECA’s Life-Size Chucky and Tiffany Replica Dolls

394: Bride of Frankenstein (1935)

Child’s Play (1988)

Hellraiser (1987)

A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)

Hocus Pocus (1993)

Return of the Jedi (1983)

Annabelle (2014)

Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon (2006)

Halloween (1978)

Puppet Master (1989)

The Exorcist (1973)

Seed of Chucky (2004)

Cult of Chucky (2017)

Chucky, TV Series

Tales from the Crypt

Sense and Sensibility

Wuthering Heights

The Sims

B-side

Halloween (2007)

Dracula

Possession (1981)

The Invisible Man (2020)

Friday the 13th (2009)

Psycho (1960)

Hellraiser (1987)

Obsession (2025)

Keeper (2025)

The Conjuring Universe

217: Rosemary’s Baby (1968)

232: Pearl (2022)

206: X (2022)

102: Midsommar (2019)

Men (2022)

320: Paranormal Activity (2007)

Buddy (2026)

Shaun of the Dead (2004)

251: The Mummy (1932)

The Shining (1980)

Get Out (2017)

You’re Next (2011)

Together (2025)

Interview with the Vampire

Carrie

265: Smile (2022)

The Descent (2005)

Scream (1996)

Bones and All (2022)

What Keeps You Alive (2018)

It’s What’s Inside (2024)

The Lighthouse (2019)

333: Orphan (2009)

194: The Lodge (2019)

Support the show

Thanks for listening to Hack or Slash! Want more from the show? 

Join us on Patreon for extended episodes, bonus reviews, B-sides, watchalongs, behind-the-scenes extras, and more ways to help keep the show alive and slashing.

• Support us on Patreon

You can also hang out with us between episodes in our community spaces. Join the Discord for watch parties, episode discussions, horror recommendations, and general spooky nonsense.

• Join our Discord

Follow Hack or Slash:

• Website
• YouTube
• Reddit
• Instagram
• TikTok

Have thoughts on this week’s movie? Leave a comment, send us a voicemail, or tag us online. We love hearing your thoughts on the movies we cover.

Happy slashing!

Music Credits: "Hack or Slash" by Daniel Stapleton

Send us Fan Mail

This week we’re unpacking Carrie (2026), Episode 1: “First Period.” We dissect the premiere’s documentary-style framing, explore its reimagined mother-daughter dynamic, and examine how modern bullying amplifies Carrie’s humiliation. We also connect its Stephen King Easter eggs and consider where Flanagan might take the series next. This episode contains spoilers.

Mentioned in the Episode

Watch the Movie

Carrie (2026)

Related Episodes

154: Carrie (1976 vs. 2013)

159: Doctor Sleep (2019)

139: Oculus (2013)

182: Hush (2016)

319: The Mist (2007)

Main Episode

This ‘Carrie’ has the bloody prom scene, but it adds a modern horror: social media

Carrie, Stephen King’s novel

The Shining (1980)

The Shining (1997 miniseries)

Firestarter (1984)

The Midnight Club

Castle Rock

The Dark Tower, Stephen King’s book series

East of Eden, John Steinbeck’s novel

Stranger Things

Faces of Death (1978)

The Wizard of Oz (1939)

Twister (1996)

Harry Potter

X-Men

Support the show

Thanks for listening to Hack or Slash! Want more from the show? 

Join us on Patreon for extended episodes, bonus reviews, B-sides, watchalongs, behind-the-scenes extras, and more ways to help keep the show alive and slashing.

• Support us on Patreon

You can also hang out with us between episodes in our community spaces. Join the Discord for watch parties, episode discussions, horror recommendations, and general spooky nonsense.

• Join our Discord

Follow Hack or Slash:

• Website
• YouTube
• Reddit
• Instagram
• TikTok

Have thoughts on this week’s movie? Leave a comment, send us a voicemail, or tag us online. We love hearing your thoughts on the movies we cover.

Happy slashing!

Music Credits: "Hack or Slash" by Daniel Stapleton

Send us Fan Mail

This week we’re reviewing Resident Evil (2026). We examine how Zach Cregger recreates survival-horror gameplay, unpack Austin Abrams’ frantic everyman performance, and dissect the film’s practical creature effects and body horror. In this episode's b-side, we consider which games should be adapted to film next. This episode contains spoilers, beginning at 35:17.

Mentioned in the Episode

Watch the Film

Resident Evil (2026)

Related Episodes

242: Resident Evil (2002)

244: Barbarian (2022)

405: Weapons (2025)

137: The Thing (1982 vs. 2011)

069: The Faculty (1998)

268: Evil Dead Rise (2023)

110: Ready or Not (2019)

179: Halloween Kills (2021)

250: The Mean One (2022)

389: Until Dawn (2025)

299: Five Nights at Freddy’s (2023)

Main Episode

Zach Cregger’s ‘Resident Evil’ Features a 2,000 Pound Practical Monster Puppet Built By a SFX Legend

The Right Way to Adapt a Video Game

Resident Evil Q&A: Director Zach Cregger Shares Inspirations and a New Film Teaser

Train to Busan (2016)

The Exorcist (1973)

B-side

Dead Space

Death Troopers

Dead by Daylight

The Dark Pictures Anthology

The Quarry

Amnesia: The Dark Descent

MADiSON

Alan Wake

Phasmophobia

Friday the 13th: The Game

Halloween: The Game

Mortal Kombat

Fallout

BioShock

Minecraft

The Sims Movie

Support the show

Thanks for listening to Hack or Slash! Want more from the show? 

Join us on Patreon for extended episodes, bonus reviews, B-sides, watchalongs, behind-the-scenes extras, and more ways to help keep the show alive and slashing.

• Support us on Patreon

You can also hang out with us between episodes in our community spaces. Join the Discord for watch parties, episode discussions, horror recommendations, and general spooky nonsense.

• Join our Discord

Follow Hack or Slash:

• Website
• YouTube
• Reddit
• Instagram
• TikTok

Have thoughts on this week’s movie? Leave a comment, send us a voicemail, or tag us online. We love hearing your thoughts on the movies we cover.

Happy slashing!

Music Credits: "Hack or Slash" by Daniel Stapleton

Send us Fan Mail

We interrupt your regularly scheduled programming for a special bulletin from WHOS-13 Television.

Spooky Season has officially begun, and Kris and Chel are kicking off Hack or Slash’s 2026 31 Days of Horror celebration with a trip back to the glory days of Blockbuster runs, late-night horror movies, sleepovers, trick-or-treat candy, and the memories of being a baby horror fan.

This year’s month-long celebration is built around nostalgia, with themed programming every day of October, community watch parties, gaming marathons, late-night hangouts, and a brand-new interactive tracker at WHOS-13.TV.

Tune in for a full rundown of this year’s calendar, learn how to track and share your 31 Days of Horror record, and get the broadcast schedule for everything happening across the Hack or Slash community this October.

Use our 2026 31 Days of Horror Tracker Here

Support the show

Thanks for listening to Hack or Slash! Want more from the show? 

Join us on Patreon for extended episodes, bonus reviews, B-sides, watchalongs, behind-the-scenes extras, and more ways to help keep the show alive and slashing.

• Support us on Patreon

You can also hang out with us between episodes in our community spaces. Join the Discord for watch parties, episode discussions, horror recommendations, and general spooky nonsense.

• Join our Discord

Follow Hack or Slash:

• Website
• YouTube
• Reddit
• Instagram
• TikTok

Have thoughts on this week’s movie? Leave a comment, send us a voicemail, or tag us online. We love hearing your thoughts on the movies we cover.

Happy slashing!

Music Credits: "Hack or Slash" by Daniel Stapleton

Send us Fan Mail

This week we’re reviewing Buddy (2026). We dissect its collision of ’90s children’s television and graphic horror, explore Buddy’s need for love as a form of control, and praise Keegan-Michael Key’s emotional range. This episode contains spoilers, beginning at 25:33.

Mentioned in the Episode

Watch the Movie

⁠Buddy (2026)

Main Episode

⁠Casper Kelly dives into the darkness of kids’ television with ‘Buddy’

⁠The Black List Interview: Casper Kelly on BUDDY

⁠Child’s Play (2019)

⁠The Banana Splits Movie (2019)

⁠The Wizard of Oz (1939)

B-side

⁠Barney & Friends

⁠Teletubbies

⁠Blue’s Clues

⁠Pee-wee’s Playhouse

⁠Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood

⁠Sesame Street

⁠Gullah Gullah Island

⁠The Puzzle Place

⁠Dora the Explorer

⁠Zoboomafoo

⁠The Big Comfy Couch

⁠Bear in the Big Blue House

⁠The Wiggles

⁠Thomas & Friends

⁠Care Bears

⁠ALF

⁠Clifford the Big Red Dog

⁠If You Give a Mouse a Cookie

⁠Peter Rabbit

Support the show

Thanks for listening to Hack or Slash! Want more from the show? 

Join us on Patreon for extended episodes, bonus reviews, B-sides, watchalongs, behind-the-scenes extras, and more ways to help keep the show alive and slashing.

• Support us on Patreon

You can also hang out with us between episodes in our community spaces. Join the Discord for watch parties, episode discussions, horror recommendations, and general spooky nonsense.

• Join our Discord

Follow Hack or Slash:

• Website
• YouTube
• Reddit
• Instagram
• TikTok

Have thoughts on this week’s movie? Leave a comment, send us a voicemail, or tag us online. We love hearing your thoughts on the movies we cover.

Happy slashing!

Music Credits: "Hack or Slash" by Daniel Stapleton

Send us Fan Mail

This week we’re building the ’90s Horror Kid Starter Pack. We revisit the movies that scared us too young, retrace the video-store rituals that shaped our tastes, and celebrate the books, television, games, and toys that made horror feel like a childhood lifestyle. 

Support the show

Thanks for listening to Hack or Slash! Want more from the show? 

Join us on Patreon for extended episodes, bonus reviews, B-sides, watchalongs, behind-the-scenes extras, and more ways to help keep the show alive and slashing.

• Support us on Patreon

You can also hang out with us between episodes in our community spaces. Join the Discord for watch parties, episode discussions, horror recommendations, and general spooky nonsense.

• Join our Discord

Follow Hack or Slash:

• Website
• YouTube
• Reddit
• Instagram
• TikTok

Have thoughts on this week’s movie? Leave a comment, send us a voicemail, or tag us online. We love hearing your thoughts on the movies we cover.

Happy slashing!

Music Credits: "Hack or Slash" by Daniel Stapleton

Send us Fan Mail

This week we’re unpacking our first impressions of Halloween: The Game (2026). We examine how Haddonfield captures the atmosphere of the original film, dissect how playing Michael and the civilians reshapes the asymmetrical horror formula, and assess how Michael’s story expands the events of Halloween. We also weigh the game’s launch-week bugs, controversial closet mechanic, and long-term potential as the community learns how to play.

Mentioned in the Episode

Halloween (1978)

461: Halloween: The Game | Pre-launch Preview (2026)

Halloween: Everything You Need to Know About IllFonic’s New Horror Game Starring Michael Myers

IllFonic Pulls Halloween: The Game’s Closet Minigame After “Major Oversight”

Dead by Daylight

Halloween: The Game — Story Mode

Support the show

Thanks for listening to Hack or Slash! Want more from the show? 

Join us on Patreon for extended episodes, bonus reviews, B-sides, watchalongs, behind-the-scenes extras, and more ways to help keep the show alive and slashing.

• Support us on Patreon

You can also hang out with us between episodes in our community spaces. Join the Discord for watch parties, episode discussions, horror recommendations, and general spooky nonsense.

• Join our Discord

Follow Hack or Slash:

• Website
• YouTube
• Reddit
• Instagram
• TikTok

Have thoughts on this week’s movie? Leave a comment, send us a voicemail, or tag us online. We love hearing your thoughts on the movies we cover.

Happy slashing!

Music Credits: "Hack or Slash" by Daniel Stapleton

Send us Fan Mail

This week we’re previewing Halloween: The Game (2026). We unpack IllFonic’s approach to single-player and asymmetrical horror, explore how the game recreates Haddonfield and Michael Myers, and assess whether its customization and gameplay systems can give the experience lasting power.

Mentioned in the Episode

Watch the Day 1 Gameplay Live Stream

Halloween: The Game

Related Episodes

179: Halloween Kills (2021)

242: Resident Evil (2002)

315: Silent Hill (2006)

325: Silent Hill: Revelation (2012)

020: The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)

Main Episode

Halloween (1978)

Nick Castle Talks Halloween

Halloween: The Game Launch and Early Access

Halloween: The Game — Official News and Updates

Friday the 13th: The Game

Predator: Hunting Grounds

Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed

Killer Klowns from Outer Space: The Game

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre

Dead by Daylight

Phasmophobia

Hack or Slash YouTube

Hack or Slash Patreon

Hack or Slash Discord

Support the show

Support the show

Thanks for listening to Hack or Slash! Want more from the show? 

Join us on Patreon for extended episodes, bonus reviews, B-sides, watchalongs, behind-the-scenes extras, and more ways to help keep the show alive and slashing.

• Support us on Patreon

You can also hang out with us between episodes in our community spaces. Join the Discord for watch parties, episode discussions, horror recommendations, and general spooky nonsense.

• Join our Discord

Follow Hack or Slash:

• Website
• YouTube
• Reddit
• Instagram
• TikTok

Have thoughts on this week’s movie? Leave a comment, send us a voicemail, or tag us online. We love hearing your thoughts on the movies we cover.

Happy slashing!

Music Credits: "Hack or Slash" by Daniel Stapleton

Send us Fan Mail

This week we’re previewing Spooky Season 2026. We revisit the horror memories that shaped us, preview the movies and franchises returning to our lineup, and unpack our plans for Halloween: The Game and Crystal Lake. We also spotlight our community’s 31 Days of Horror themes, and share the spooky-season reviews we’re anticipating most.

Support the show

Thanks for listening to Hack or Slash! Want more from the show? 

Join us on Patreon for extended episodes, bonus reviews, B-sides, watchalongs, behind-the-scenes extras, and more ways to help keep the show alive and slashing.

• Support us on Patreon

You can also hang out with us between episodes in our community spaces. Join the Discord for watch parties, episode discussions, horror recommendations, and general spooky nonsense.

• Join our Discord

Follow Hack or Slash:

• Website
• YouTube
• Reddit
• Instagram
• TikTok

Have thoughts on this week’s movie? Leave a comment, send us a voicemail, or tag us online. We love hearing your thoughts on the movies we cover.

Happy slashing!

Music Credits: "Hack or Slash" by Daniel Stapleton