Rotten Horror Picture Show

The countdown to Crystal Lake is officially underway on The Rotten Horror Picture Show Podcast! With the upcoming series set to return audiences to the world of Camp Crystal Lake, Clay and Amanda are preparing by digging back into the franchise’s history. And what better way to get ready for Crystal Lake than by bringing one of their Friday the 13th Patreon episodes to the main feed? This week, they’re releasing their discussion of Friday the 13th Part 2 from 1981, giving everyone a chance to revisit the movie that introduced Jason Voorhees as the franchise’s signature killer before Clay and Amanda begin their coverage of the new show.

But while Clay and Amanda are getting ready to spend more time at Camp Crystal Lake, there’s one person who wants absolutely nothing to do with the place—and it has nothing to do with Jason.

They’re afraid of camping because there are no soda vending machines.

You can tell me about the beautiful scenery. You can tell me about swimming in the lake, roasting marshmallows over a campfire, sleeping under the stars, and enjoying the peaceful sounds of nature. I don’t care. Where is the vending machine?

At home, if I want a cold soda, I walk twelve feet to the refrigerator. If I’m out somewhere, there’s probably a vending machine within visual range. But at Camp Crystal Lake? You could wander for miles before finding one, and even then it’s probably broken.

And what happens when you finish your last soda? You’re just supposed to drink water?

WATER?!

That’s not camping. That’s punishment.

So while Clay and Amanda prepare to return to Camp Crystal Lake for Crystal Lake, grab yourself a cold soda and join them for Friday the 13th Part 2. Because Jason Voorhees may be hiding in the woods, but the real horror is realizing you’re three miles from camp and your Dr Pepper is gone.

And make sure to follow all the sequel shenanigans with Clay and Amanda over at patreon.com/thepenskyfile

Welcome back to The Rotten Horror Picture Show Podcast, where this week Clay and Amanda take on The Wailing, the acclaimed 2016 Korean horror mystery that has earned a spot at #3 on Rotten Tomatoes’ Best Horror Movies of All Time list. Directed by Na Hong-jin, this sprawling, unsettling nightmare follows a small-town police officer investigating a series of bizarre illnesses, violent incidents, and increasingly disturbing supernatural events after a mysterious stranger arrives in the area. It’s creepy, atmospheric, occasionally darkly funny, and packed with enough ambiguity to keep you questioning what you’ve actually witnessed long after the credits roll.

It definitely had me questioning what I'd just witnessed, that's for sure!

You see, I had certain expectations of what I'd be in for with this one. Maybe not immediately. Maybe the movie would start with some mysterious Korean fisherman staring dramatically out at the ocean. Maybe eventually we'd get a majestic humpback breaching through the mist. Perhaps the supernatural evil would turn out to be some enormous demonic whale. I was open to anything!

But no.

Not a single whale.

In fact, as far as I could tell, there weren't even any fish.

None!

Do you know how disappointing that is? You give a movie a title like The Wailing and then completely ignore the aquatic possibilities? That's like making a movie called The Howling and not including a single wolf. Oh, wait.

And sure, Clay and Amanda have plenty to say about the film's disturbing atmosphere, religious imagery, mysteries, supernatural elements, and deliberately confusing narrative. They'll probably spend the episode examining every suspicious character and trying to determine what's really happening.

Meanwhile, I'll be sitting here wondering where the damn fish are.

Still, even without marine life, The Wailing sounds like an incredible horror experience, and if Clay and Amanda can help me understand why this movie is so highly regarded, perhaps I'll forgive its unforgivable lack of whales.

But I won't forget.

The Wailing deserved at least one whale.

And be sure to follow Clay and Amanda as they run down their list of horror sequels over at patreon.com/thepenskyfile!

Welcome back to The Rotten Horror Picture Show Podcast, where Clay and Amanda are getting ready for their upcoming coverage of Crystal Lake by bringing some classic slasher mayhem back to the main feed! Before they dive into the new series, they’re opening up the vault and releasing their previously Patreon-exclusive episodes covering the Friday the 13th franchise. That means hockey masks, summer camps, creative kills, questionable decisions, and enough teenage counselors wandering into dark woods to make you wonder how Camp Crystal Lake ever passed an inspection.

Now, I know everybody says Friday the 13th is the scary day. But I’ve never bought into that. Friday the 13th? Whatever. I can handle it. You want to put a hockey-masked murderer in the woods on Friday the 13th? Fine. I’ll stay home, lock the doors, and maybe watch something cheerful.

But Thursday the 12th?

Now that is terrifying.

Think about it. Thursday the 12th is when you realize Friday the 13th is coming. You wake up Thursday morning and everything seems normal. You go to work. You eat lunch. You go about your business. But in the back of your mind, there’s a little voice whispering: “Tomorrow.”

Tomorrow is Friday the 13th.

That means Thursday the 12th is basically the opening act. It’s the ominous footsteps outside the cabin. It’s the mysterious phone call. It’s the part where you hear something downstairs and decide to investigate despite having absolutely no reason to do so.

And that’s why I’m much more interested in Clay and Amanda’s Friday the 13th coverage. They’re looking back at the franchise just in time to prepare everyone for Crystal Lake, exploring the movies, the mythology, Jason Voorhees, and all the glorious nonsense that made the series a horror institution.

So listen closely, because this is your chance to get caught up before Crystal Lake arrives.

Just remember: Friday the 13th may have Jason, but Thursday the 12th has anticipation.

And anticipation is where the real terror lives.

And be sure to follow Clay and Amanda in their coverage of horror sequels over at patreon.com/thepenskyfile!

Welcome back to The Rotten Horror Picture Show Podcast, where this week Clay and Amanda sink their teeth into the stone-cold horror classic Dracula from 1931! Starring Bela Lugosi as the legendary Count Dracula, this foundational Universal monster movie helped establish the look, mood, and mythology of the cinematic vampire for generations to come. Clay and Amanda are here to talk about Lugosi’s iconic performance, Tod Browning’s direction, the gothic atmosphere, and all the creepy, atmospheric business that made this movie an essential piece of horror history.

Now, I was very excited when I heard the podcast was covering Dracula. I thought, finally, someone is giving the world the horror experience it deserves. I got myself prepared. I put on some Rob Zombie, turned the lights down, and started imagining what kind of cinematic madness we were about to get. I figured there’d be dark roads, sinister machinery, possibly some witches, and definitely a tremendous amount of screaming. Frankly, I was ready for a good time.

Then I started watching the movie and realized something had gone terribly wrong.

They meant Dracula. I thought they meant “Dragula.”

Do you have any idea how disappointing that is? I spent the entire movie waiting for somebody to start burning witches and digging ditches. I kept expecting a monstrous hot rod to come roaring around the corner. Instead, I got Bela Lugosi in a cape standing around Transylvania, hypnotizing people and drinking blood. That's not what I ordered! Where are the ditches? Where's the screaming guitar? Where's the music video?

I suppose I should have figured it out sooner. The lack of industrial metal (or any music at all) should've been my first clue.

Still, Clay and Amanda are here to explain why Dracula is such a stone-cold classic, and I’ll admit, Bela Lugosi is pretty damn good. Maybe not “Dragula” good, but pretty damn good.

So settle in for a trip back to 1931 and one of horror cinema’s most important films.

Just don't blame me when nobody digs through the ditches.

And be sure to join Clay and Amanda as they cover franchise sequels over on Patreon at Patreon.com/thepenskyfile!

Welcome to a special edition of The Rotten Horror Picture Show Podcast, where Clay and Amanda have done something truly shocking: they have left the comfort of their homes and ventured into the legitimate theater to see the new Paranormal Activity stage play. That’s right—actual actors, a real stage, a live audience, and presumably at least one person coughing directly into their hand before touching every surface in the building. Clay and Amanda report back from their theatrical expedition to discuss the experience of seeing one of horror’s biggest found-footage franchises transformed into a live performance. How does Paranormal Activity work when the audience is sharing the room with the supernatural? What happens when the scares unfold in real time? And is there anything more frightening than buying refreshments at a theater?

Personally, I wouldn’t know, because I refuse to attend the theater.

Not because I’m afraid of ghosts. Ghosts are incorporeal. They don’t need legroom. They can float anywhere they please. No, I’m afraid of the seats. Those tiny, narrow, judgmental little chairs with armrests positioned approximately one inch from your kidneys. You’re expected to sit there for two hours while your knees attempt to tunnel through the back of the seat in front of you.

And don’t get me started on the armrest situation. Is it mine? Is it theirs? Why is the stranger next to me breathing? I came here for a show, not a hostage negotiation.

So while Clay and Amanda discuss supernatural happenings onstage, I’m wondering whether they managed to survive the most terrifying aspect of live theater: the intermission sprint to stretch your legs. Ghosts can knock pictures off walls. Demons can slam doors. But have they ever spent an evening wedged between two complete strangers in Row G?

I doubt it.

Join Clay and Amanda for this special Paranormal Activity theater report, as they bring the stage experience directly to you—allowing you to enjoy the horror from the comfort of your own chair, which, hopefully, was designed for a human body.

Welcome back to The Rotten Horror Picture Show Podcast, where this week Clay and Amanda sink their teeth into one of the greatest vampire films of the 21st century: Let the Right One In. The acclaimed 2008 Swedish horror drama blends coming-of-age heartbreak with icy Scandinavian atmosphere, telling the story of a lonely young boy who befriends an equally lonely girl who just so happens to be a vampire. Clay and Amanda explore the film's delicate balance of tenderness and terror, its unforgettable performances, and why its quiet, snow-covered approach to horror has made it a modern classic. It's a film about loneliness, friendship, and the monsters that sometimes make the best companions.

But before we get into all that... I have one question.

Let the right what in?

The title just... stops. It's like someone got distracted halfway through naming the movie.

Let the right one in? The right one what? Person? Vampire? Contractor? Pizza delivery guy? I need specifics here.

Imagine if every movie did this. The Thing. The thing what? It Follows. It follows who? The Blob. The blob... okay, that one's actually pretty clear.

I've spent years thinking maybe there's some invisible word everyone else can see. Every time someone recommends this movie, they say, "Oh, you've gotta watch Let the Right One In," and I have to stop myself from asking, "Let the right one in... where?" Your house? A nightclub? IKEA? The title raises far more logistical questions than it answers.

Thankfully, Clay and Amanda are here to clear things up. They dive into the film's themes of trust, isolation, and what it truly means to invite someone into your life—or your home, which, as vampire movies have repeatedly warned us, is generally a decision worth thinking through.

So join them for a discussion of this haunting masterpiece. And if, by the end of the episode, someone could finally explain what exactly we're letting in, I'd really appreciate it. It's been bothering me for eighteen years.

Welcome back to The Rotten Horror Picture Show Podcast, where this week Clay and Amanda sink their teeth into one of the defining horror films of the 1970s: The Omen. Richard Donner's chilling classic follows diplomat Robert Thorn as he slowly realizes that his adopted son Damien may not just be a troublesome child, but the literal Antichrist. Along the way, there are mysterious deaths, creepy priests, prophetic photographers, and one of cinema's all-time great scores by Jerry Goldsmith. Clay and Amanda unpack the film's lasting legacy, its influence on religious horror, and why The Omen remains every bit as unsettling nearly fifty years after its release.

Now, there's one thing that's always bothered me about this movie. Everyone keeps talking about the "Hounds of Hell" like they're some horrifying, unspeakable evil. Have you seen the dog? That is an adorable animal! Big floppy ears, shiny coat, excellent posture. Who's the good infernal boy? You are! Yes, you are!

The characters keep reacting like, "Dear God, it's the Hound of Hell!" Meanwhile, I'm over here wondering if he's accepting belly rubs. Honestly, the poor thing gets a terrible reputation just because of where he's from. If he were called the "Friendly Neighborhood Dog of Moderate Concern," everyone would be lining up with tennis balls.

Sure, he bares his teeth a little. Sure, he occasionally appears in graveyards and helps usher in the apocalypse. Nobody's perfect. My uncle Larry once ruined Thanksgiving by microwaving fish, and we still invite him over.

Clay and Amanda, thankfully, spend their time discussing the film's genuinely terrifying atmosphere, Damien's unsettling presence, and why The Omen has become such a cornerstone of supernatural horror. I'll be listening closely... while quietly wondering if someone remembered to pack a few dog treats.

Because I don't care if you're from Heaven, Earth, or the fiery pits of eternal damnation—every good dog deserves a scratch behind the ears. Even if he does technically work for Satan.

Welcome back to The Rotten Horror Picture Show Podcast! Things are a little different this week, as Amanda is out of town, leaving Clay to hold down the fort all by himself. But don't worry—he's not completely alone. Joining him are two longtime friends of the show, Grim Santo, proprietor of the horror-themed bakery Grim Delights, and Listener Kyle, who will no doubt remind everyone that he is the "co-creator" of The Rotten Horror Picture Show—a claim that is enthusiastic, persistent, and, as always, entirely non-legally binding. Together, the trio square off in a heated game of Horror Movie Trivial Pursuit, testing their knowledge of slashers, monsters, sequels, and obscure genre minutiae in an episode that's equal parts competition and chaos.

Now, I have to admit something: I've never understood the appeal of trivia games. Everybody gets so excited to answer questions they either already know or don't know. Where's the suspense? Where's the giant wheel? Personally, I've always been a Wheel of Fortune person. Spin the wheel! Buy a vowel! Hope you don't land on Bankrupt! That's entertainment. On Jeopardy! they're all standing there pretending it's perfectly normal to answer every question with another question. If I went to the grocery store and the cashier said, "That'll be $42.17," and I replied, "What is forty-two dollars and seventeen cents?" they'd ask me to leave.

So while Clay, Grim, and Kyle are battling over horror trivia, I'm over here wondering why nobody's trying to solve "R _ B E R T E N G L U N D" for a new dining room set. Grim can sweeten the competition with haunted pastries from Grim Delights, Kyle can continue campaigning for official co-creator status, and Clay can try to keep the whole thing on the rails.

Me? I'll be at home hoping someone wins a lovely trip to Aruba... preferably without having to answer who directed The Texas Chain Saw Massacre first.

Be sure to check out Grim's dark delights over at https://www.grimdelights.shop/

And follow Clay and Amanda down the rocky road of horror sequels at patreon.com/thepenskyfile

Welcome back to The Rotten Horror Picture Show Podcast, where this week Clay and Amanda set sail for one of the strangest, most influential horror films of the 1930s: Island of Lost Souls, the classic adaptation of H.G. Wells' The Island of Doctor Moreau. Starring Charles Laughton as the delightfully unsettling Doctor Moreau, the film tells the story of a remote tropical outpost where science has gone horribly, horribly wrong. Human-animal hybrids roam the jungle, strange laws govern the land, and civilization is hanging by the thinnest of threads. Clay and Amanda dig into the film's legacy, its pre-Code weirdness, and why it remains one of the most fascinating monster movies ever made.

Now, before we go any further, I need to address something that's been bothering me. Is it really an island?

Everyone keeps calling it an island. The title says it's an island. The characters say it's an island. But has anyone actually checked? What if it's a peninsula? Has anyone gotten out there with proper surveying equipment? Because if there's even a narrow strip of land connecting it to a larger landmass, then the whole thing falls apart. We'd have to call it Peninsula of Lost Souls, and frankly, that doesn't have the same ring to it.

Think about it. People arrive by boat. That proves nothing. Plenty of people arrive at peninsulas by boat. The Florida Keys get boats all the time. Nobody's calling Miami an island.

Meanwhile, Clay and Amanda are discussing horrifying beast-men, forbidden science, and Charles Laughton chewing scenery like it owes him money, while I'm stuck wondering about coastal geography. Is there a map? Have we seen satellite imagery? I know satellites didn't exist in 1932, but surely someone has checked by now.

Anyway, whether it's an island, a peninsula, or some third category of landform science hasn't discovered yet, Island of Lost Souls remains a horror classic. Join Clay and Amanda as they explore one of cinema's earliest and strangest nightmares.

And if anyone has a topographical survey of Moreau's property, please send it immediately.

And don't forget to head over to patreon.com/thepenskyfile to check out this month's extra-special patreon episode recorded at the Stanley Hotel!

This week on The Rotten Horror Picture Show Podcast, Clay and Amanda are giving listeners a special sample of their Patreon sequel coverage with a deep dive into the gloriously chaotic Gremlins 2: The New Batch. Directed by Joe Dante, this sequel takes everything from the original Gremlins and cranks it to absolute cartoon insanity—mutant gremlins, fourth-wall breaks, satire of corporate America, and enough anarchic energy to short-circuit an entire skyscraper. Clay and Amanda unpack why Gremlins 2 has gone from misunderstood oddity to beloved cult comedy, and how Dante basically used a studio sequel to make fun of studio sequels.

Now, personally? I’ve always felt the Gremlins films could stand to be a little more topical. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy a tiny green monster hijacking a cable access show as much as the next person, but where are the gremlins discussing modern infrastructure concerns? Where’s the scene where a gremlin spreads misinformation online? Why hasn’t there been a thoughtful subplot about housing costs? You’re telling me these creatures can genetically splice themselves into bat-gremlins and electricity-gremlins, but none of them has started an inflammatory podcast?

Honestly, the closest Gremlins 2 gets is making fun of media saturation and corporate culture, which, credit where it’s due, was pretty ahead of its time. But I’m just saying: if you’re gonna unleash chaos monsters onto society, maybe let them tackle gig economy burnout or algorithm-driven outrage while they’re at it. Imagine a gremlin testifying before Congress. That’s cinema.

Still, Clay and Amanda make a compelling case that Gremlins 2 works precisely because it’s so unhinged. It’s satire wrapped in slapstick wrapped in creature effects slime, and somehow it all holds together.

So tune in, enjoy the madness, and remember: somewhere out there, there’s probably already a cryptocurrency gremlin.

And be sure to head over to Patreon.com/thepenskyfile to follow Clay and Amanda as they dive into horror franchise sequels, and don't miss out on the special Patreon-only episode recorded at the Stanley Hotel in June!