Happy Horror Time

That creepy-a$$ smile is back in a sequel to the supernatural flick that made an ear-to-ear grin something to fear. Tune in to hear us break down “Smile 2” — from how it connected and compared to the original film, to our thoughts on what was reality vs. a hallucination, and of course, that flashy ending and where we think the franchise could go from here.

The “Terrifier” franchise has done wonders for indie horror, proving that an unrated flick starring a sadistic clown can be successful in theaters. Tune in to hear us break down “Terrifier 3” — from the inventive kills the series has become known for, to how they handled the return of the “final siblings” (Sienna & Jonathan), and whether we liked it more or less than the previous installments.

Kickstarter campaign for "Ripped to Shreds" graphic novel (mentioned during this episode): https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/apostrophecomics/ripped-to-shreds-the-lost-80s-slasher

Many have donned the Michael Myers mask throughout the “Halloween” franchise, but only one was the original Shape — Nick Castle. Tune in to hear all about playing this iconic villain in John Carpenter’s 1978 classic, the story behind his return to the franchise in Blumhouse’s trilogy, and we even chat a bit about some of his writing and directing credits — “Escape from New York,” “The Last Starfighter” and “Tag: The Assassination Game.”

As Sarah in “Halloween H20,” not only did Jodi Lyn O’Keefe get to work with Jamie Lee Curtis in her first return to the series, but she faced Michael Myers in one of the most brutal and memorable scenes of the franchise. Tune in to hear all about making this 20th anniversary sequel, all the ins and outs of filming her iconic demise, and stick around as we touch on some of her other films — from horror flicks like “Devil in the Flesh 2” to the teen rom-com, “She’s All That.”

“The Substance” explores how far an aging Hollywood star will go to create a younger, hotter version of herself… and how fabulous a full length yellow coat can be. Tune in to hear us break down this body horror flick — from Demi Moore’s fearless performance, to our interpretation of the film’s more obscure scenes, and of course, those batsh*t crazy final 20 minutes. 😲

“Hauntology” marks the feature film debut of Writer/Director, Parker Brennon, who cast Nancy Loomis in her first film in over 40 years. Tune in to hear all about making this queer horror anthology, how Nancy got involved, Parker’s approach to writing these diverse characters, and of course Matt asks Nancy several questions about playing Annie in John Carpenter’s “Halloween.”

“Hauntology” is now available to rent or buy on Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV.

Matt’s 10-year-old nephew, Bix Emert-Hutner, is a major horror fan like his uncle, so we invited him on the show to revisit a spooky sequel 36 years in the making. Tune in as we break down “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” — from the new characters and plot points we loved, to the ones that may have been overkill. And if you find yourself smiling from ear to ear at Bix’s touching and impressive comments, you weren’t the only one. 😍

If you’d like to check out Bix’s Roblox horror videos and subscribe to his YouTube channel, please visit https://www.youtube.com/@BxRulesRoblox

This episode’s not like a regular episode — it’s a COOL episode! 😉 That’s because we’re joined by “Mean Girls” Director, Mark Waters, to discuss “Friday the 13th Part 2” — the film he just so happened to use a clip of in his iconic 2004 teen comedy. And don’t worry, we know how obsessed everyone is with “Mean Girls,” so we asked him all about working on it. Now tune in, loser, we’re talkin’ horror on Friday the 13th!

To check out and contribute to the Indiegogo campaign for “Loose Ends – Victim No More Part II” (the F13 anthology film mentioned in this episode’s intro), please visit https://igg.me/at/loose-ends/x/38044065#/

“Strange Darling” is a cat-and-mouse thriller, told in 6 non-consecutive chapters, that stars Willa Fitzgerald from the “Scream” TV series and Kyle Gallner from more horror films than we can list here. Tune in to hear us break down every chapter — from the twists we didn't see coming, to the performance that deserves a ton of recognition, and the Q&A we watched after the film that was… odd.

As Tina Gray in the original “A Nightmare on Elm Street,” Amanda Wyss was the first teen to encounter Freddy Krueger, meeting her demise in one of the most memorable kills in horror history. Tune in to hear all about making the film that launched this iconic franchise, the horror hacks she learned from Wes Craven, the cameo she was offered in “New Nightmare” and what happened after turning it down, and her impressive performance in the psychological horror film more people should be talking about — “The Id.”