Scare U

Summoned to a remote island off the coast of Scotland by a report claiming a young girl, Rowan Morrison, has gone missing, West Highland Constabulary Sergeant Neil Howie finds himself far from any reality he’s ever known, due to the strange customs and people of the island, called Summerisle. A god-fearing, Christian man in every way, Howie is put off, then shocked by the the island’s free-thinking, sexually explicit ways. He refuses the advances of Willow, a landlord’s daughter, and threatens to arrest Miss Rose, a schoolteacher, for discussing phallic symbols. Summerisle, Howie comes to understand, believes only in gods of fertility, and pagan ways, as overseen by Lord Summerisle, a tall, imposing chap with a fantastic house and even snappier wardrobe. When no one can seem to recall having met or seen Rowan, Howie’s investigation leads down a series of increasingly strange dead ends. And as May Day approaches, he becomes increasingly convinced that he has become the subject of a bizarre, dangerous game.

Time:  the present.  Location:  Danvers, Massachusetts.  Given the opportunity to clear asbestos from the long-dormant Danvers State Hospital, a sprawling asylum for the insane, abatement specialist Gordon jumps at the chance, claiming in his bid that he and his crew can do the job in one short week.  Gordon brings on four guys:  the dependable yet hot-headed Phil, would-be lawyer Mike, self-styled ladies man Hank, and Gordon’s nephew Jeff, who suffers from nyctophobia. Things seem to be moving along, but when Mike discovers the reel to reel tapes of a former patient named Mary Hobbes and becomes fascinated by her story, a larger tale begins to play out – one that shows startling parallels to the lives of the men shucking fiber in the hospital today.

Based on a true story, The Exorcism of Emily Rose opens on a desolate landscape, a weathered farmhouse the only dwelling in sight. One thing we learn right away: Emily Rose, a girl of 19, is dead, and her condition shakes the medical examiner who comes to visit. Emily, we discover, has died as the result of demonic possession… or six demonic possessions… or maybe none.  Erin Bruner, a top-notch defense attorney, is assigned to defend the priest who exorcised Emily, Father Richard Moore, who stands accused of having cut off the girl from medical treatments she was undergoing.  Father Moore is offered a plea deal, but rejects it, as he feels Emily’s story must be told.  Hoping to make partner at her law firm, Erin is determined to follow her instincts, but between Father Moore’s compelling testimony and some very strange happenings in her own life, Erin starts to wonder if perhaps, against all odds, possession is real, and can be proven in a court of law.

McKayla and Sadie are best friends with a mutual love of social media and murder. The proprietors of the Instagram, Twitter, and every other platform account Tragedy Girls, the ladies initially befriend, then capture serial killer Lowell, and, over the course of the film, proceed to use him as a rationale for a series of grisly murders around their small, midwestern town of Rosedale.  Meanwhile, Jordan, the son of the local sheriff, is assisting the girls with their online videos, but soon comes to suspect there may be more to their story than they’re letting on. Tragedy Girls is a dark comedy about the course of true love and friendship, and what happens when a town beset by terrible misfortunes falls prey to a couple of influencers who only have mayhem on their minds.

Note: from Oct 2021-June 2022, the Scare U podcast was known as 21 Jump Scare and was organized in a slightly different fashion, with different awards.

Note: from Oct 2021-June 2022, the Scare U podcast was known as 21 Jump Scare and was organized in a slightly different fashion, with different awards.

Program note:  This was one of the earliest episodes we recorded, and as such, the audio isn't great in certain spots.  We enjoyed recording this episode, though, and IOHO, think it's smart and funny enough to include in the season.  Also, from Oct 2021-June 2022, the Scare U podcast was known as 21 Jump Scare and was organized in a slightly different fashion, with different awards.

Background (spoiler-free) 0:00-19:30
Discussion (spoiler-heavy) 19:31-42:05
Awards (spoilers for days) 42:06

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Note: from Oct 2021-June 2022, the Scare U podcast was known as 21 Jump Scare and was organized in a slightly different fashion, with different awards.

For more information on this film, essays from your hosts, and other assorted bric-a-brac, visit our website, scareupod.com,

Please subscribe to this podcast via Apple or Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.  If you like what you hear, please leave us a rating.

Follow us on Facebook.

Note: from Oct 2021-June 2022, the Scare U podcast was known as 21 Jump Scare and was organized in a slightly different fashion, with different awards.

For more information on this film, essays from your hosts, and other assorted bric-a-brac, visit our website, scareupod.com,

Please subscribe to this podcast in Apple or Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.  If you like what you hear, please leave us a rating.

Follow us on Facebook.

Note: from Oct 2021-June 2022, the Scare U podcast was known as 21 Jump Scare and was organized in a slightly different fashion, with different awards.