Not Quite Dead

The requel has become a franchise! Scream 6 returns with the same cast from Scream 5 - Jenna Ortega and Melissa Barrera as the leads - with a few extras from the Scream days of old. Appearances from Gail Weathers and Kirby keep the franchise foundation in what we find to be a very strong entry to the series. Discussion points include: how meta is too meta, ranking the Scream films, and fakeout kill counts.

A family psychodrama wrapped up in a ghost story - the stuff of nightmares! Nicole Kidman's turn as a 1940s mommy dearest in The Others is a stellar performance, a welcome retreat from some of the campier ghost movies this season. Discussion points include: WWII, creepy children, the place of religion in an ambiguous afterlife. 

Episode edited by Megan Prior-Pfeifer. Music by Zach Pfeifer. 

This isn’t the 100 Acre Woods you remember! Much to the mouse house’s chagrin, Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey was fast tracked for release once the IP came into the public domain. What else is there to do but make a gruesome, terrible horror movie out of a beloved childhood character? Discussion points include: copyright law, the uselessness of adult Christopher Robin, B-movie horror tropes. 

Episode edited by Megan Prior-Pfeifer. Music by Zach Pfeifer. 

Special guest Jason from the podcast Hemispheric Views joins us for 13 Ghosts (also known as THIR13EN GHOSTS). A family inherits a mansion stuffed to the brim with arcane and creepy artifacts - throw in a character that can see ghosts and an occultist uncle and you've got a good time brewing! Discussion points include: the illustrious Matthew Lillard, what it would be like living in a glass house, and two brand new games.

Episode edited by Cate Smith. Music by Zach Pfeifer. 

She's cute, she plays games, and she can kill the annoying people in your life - it's Megan! Wait, not, it's not our podcast host Megan, it's M3GAN! Evil doll and new best friend M3GAN took the internet by storm in 2022. Discussion points include: other evil doll comparisons, who needs parents when you have consumerism, and how movies go viral on TikTok now. 

Episode edited by Megan Prior-Pfeifer. Music by Zach Pfeifer. 

Amazingly, The Frighteners (1996) once held the title of most cutting-edge special effects. Primarily a slapstick comedy set to a Danny Elfman soundtrack, watching it today leaves a lot to be desired. Discussion points include: the most WTF moments of the movie, Michael J Fox's career, Peter Jackson's special effects company Weta FX history.

What makes a Barbarian? Director Zach Cregger's 2022 movie gives the Not Quite Dead gals much to ponder on the topic. A refreshingly smart, scary, and at times hilarious movie, Barbarian is a fun new entry into the modern horror canon. Discussion points include: AirBnBs, Justin Long scary movie supremacy, the horror movie three-act.

Episode edited by Megan Prior-Pfeifer. Music by Zach Pfeifer.

The very well-received yet little-known film We Are Still Here brings 70s ghostly delights to our screen. Couple Anne and Paul uproot their lives after family tragedy strikes, only to find themselves in a haunted new house with even creepier neighbors. Discussion points include: avoiding your weird new neighbors, what decade are we even in?, ghostly revenge.

Episode edited by Megan Prior-Pfeifer. Music by Zach Pfeifer.

The 2022 new release The Menu stars favorites Ralph Fiennes, Anya Taylor-Joy and Nicholas Hoult. The film, written by Will Tracy and Seth Reiss, is about a young couple visiting an exclusive, high-end restaurant on a remote island. What's on the menu? Death! Discussion points include: social commentary, how terrible foodies are, the food we'd want to try off the tasting menu.

Episode edited by Tedd Williamson. Music by Zach Pfeifer.

7 days....

Not Quite Dead is kicking off the new year with the 2002 classic The Ring, a remake of Hideo Nakata's 1998 Ringu. Director Gore Verbinski helms this atmospheric, genuinely scary flick. Discussion points include: symbolism of the movie within the movie, the excellent special effects, and alternative pay-it-forward schemes.

Episode edited by Megan Prior-Pfeifer. Music by Zach Pfeifer.