Is It Horror?

Season 2 Episode 11 in which the spore-infested cast of Is It Horror tries to fight off infection while reviewing the first episode of HBO's new series The Last of Us. We talk about adaptations and whether The Last of Us needed one. We discuss how the first episode holds up for fans of the games and for people new to the franchise. We are also joined by a good friend of the show and long-time fan of The Last of Us, Hayley Simpson! We hope you'll join us!

Season 2 Episode 10 wherein the graceful cast of Is It Horror seeks perfection in all things horror but analyzing Darren Aronofsky's Black Swan. Aronofsky has a talent for making uncomfortable films and psychological thrillers but is that enough to make Black Swan horror? Also, we discuss the recently released Evil Dead Rise trailer and what horror films we're excited about in 2023!

Trigger Warning: Due to the content of Black Swan we do briefly discuss power dynamics in regard to sexual assault. We understand that this may be a sensitive topic for some listeners. If you would prefer to avoid that section, it occurs at about the 1-hour mark for 10 minutes. 

Season 2 Episode 9 wherein the extremely spooky but ultimately harmless cast of Is It Horror shift their focus away from genre (mostly) to settle an age-old debate: Is The Nightmare Before Christmas a Halloween movie or a Christmas movie? We delve into the origins of the film, the audience reaction, and break down the movie itself to help determine an answer. And because we do like to determine if things are horror (it's in the title) we spend a little time at the end deciding if The Nightmare Before Christmas qualifies as horror. We hope you'll join us!

Season 2 Episode 8 in which the innocent but imaginative cast of Is It Horror visits the magical land of Oz. But is it as magical as it once seemed or is it just a smidge on the terrifying side? We are diving deep into Walter Murch's cult classic 1985 film Return to Oz. Mr. Murch has spent years wondering why people found his film scary and we dig into his comments to see if he unintentionally created a Wizard of Oz horror film. We hope join us on this magical and perilous journey. Don't forget your ruby slippers!

Season 2 Episode 7 wherein the brash and rogue-ish Daikinis of Is it Horror check in on everyone's favorite Nelwyn, Willow. Willow faces many threats and near-certain doom but does he face horror? Join us as we analyze George Lucas and Ron Howard's classic film to determine if it's horror. We also discuss the similarities and differences between fantasy and horror. Plus a fantasy-themed Is It Horror Lightning Round!

Season 2 Episode 6 wherein the final girls and boys of Is It Horror briefly set aside their quest to define horror and instead review Halloween Ends. This week we're not asking "Is It Horror" but instead "Is It Horrible?" We discuss the final chapter in David Gordon Green's Halloween trilogy, the numerous reboots of the Halloween series, and also just how many baseball bats to the face evil can take before it has no choice but to die tonight. All this and more. We hope you'll join us for a brief stay in Haddonfield!

Season 2 Episode 5 in which the cast of Is It Horror bound by destiny travel to the mystical land of Prydain to search for the Black Cauldron and learn its deepest secrets...Is It Horror? Along the way, we discuss what defines children's horror and a little about The Black Cauldron's troubled production. Hope you'll join us!

Season 2 Episode 4 in which the colorful cast of Is It Horror does the Time Warp to answer the ultimate horror classification question! Is The Rocky Horror Picture Show a horror movie? Sure it has horror in the title. Sure it's a Halloween holiday classic but is that enough to push it over the edge? Have your squirt gun at the ready, throw rice at your phone, snap your gloves, and join us as we discuss a 70s classic!

Season 2 Episode 3 in which the cast of Is It Horror visits a simpler more innocent (and yet more disturbing) time to determine the fate of Fido. We answer all the important zombie-related questions. Can a zombie apocalypse without the apocalypse truly be horror? What's a zombie without the desire to eat human flesh? Can Carrie-Anne Moss absolutely slay in pinup attire? At least one of these answers is a resounding yes. Join us to find out which!

Season 2 Episode 2 wherein the thrill-seeking cast of Is It Horror examines a horror baseline, Neil Marshall's The Descent. Certainly, The Descent is horror but why are we so sure that's the case? We also take some time to explore feminism in the horror genre. The Descent may be horror but is it also feminist horror? Joins us for a little philosophical spelunking...unless you're claustrophobic.