A new year is right around the corner, Spookies, and you're going to want to start it off right. That's why we're ending our 2024 by watching quite possibly the *best* New Year's Eve movie of all time. For our December Fifth Tuesday, we're cuddling up for a cozy night in with When Harry Met Sally... (1989), a romcom that truly nails both the rom and the com. That seems to be a rare feat in our modern age, which is why we're manifesting more yearning and naked affection in cinema for 2025. Join us as we set that intention and celebrate a classic on our latest episode of Spooky Tuesday. 

References:

Cowboy Table

Any goth kid, past or present, could tell you this truth: The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) pretty much IS the reason for the season. It's the perfect transition movie from Halloween to the holidays, and from September to January, there's no wrong time to watch (or even year-round if you're a true Hot Topic aficionado). For many, this flick has enough nostalgia factor to earn it a permanent place on the annual lineup... and then maybe there are also a few people who are less enthusiastic. On the latest episode of Spooky Tuesday, we're living like Jack and Sally as we dress up, sing along, and make sure some of us don't poop the party TOO much. 

References: 

Tim Burton's Original Poem: https://youtu.be/XbPCwc_Cdz0?si=EBndHeDe3ChtHgDZ

Deep Sea Fish That Looks Like Zero: https://youtu.be/izko8eu0HqA?si=KgrMG1uyd53H3EuO

https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/the-painstakingly-long-production-of-the-nightmare-before-christmas/

https://www.cnn.com/2023/10/31/entertainment/nightmare-before-christmas-30th-anniversary-disney-cec/index.html

https://houstonsymphony.org/31-years-of-frights-and-fun-the-story-of-tim-burtons-the-nightmare-before-christmas/

https://www.slashfilm.com/577533/the-nightmare-before-christmas-the-nightmare-before-christmas-is-oogie-boogie-racist/ 

https://feministdisney.tumblr.com/post/13839965615/the-nightmare-before-christmas-not-ho-ho-rrifying 

Sorry we left you in the lurch for a couple weeks there, Spookies! Thankfully, we're back in full force with a new installment of Werewolf vs. Vampire Seasonal Depression Event (WWVVSDE). Another early-aughts monster movie featuring Kate Beckinsale, Underworld (2003) is treading some familiar territory — but unlike Van Helsing, this flick did manage to launch its own franchise. In fact, there are a whole bunch of movies and even video games centered around the ~Eternal War~ through the eras, but we thought we'd start at the beginning. On our latest episode, we're exploring the all-blue aesthetic, experimenting with wig work, and fawning over Michael Sheen as we uncover all of the various Twilight parallels. 

References:

https://swampflix.com/2019/10/28/the-true-battle-in-underworld-2003-wasnt-vampires-vs-werewolves-it-was-practical-effects-vs-cgi/

https://www.awn.com/vfxworld/evolving-vfx-underworld

After covering the Grindhouse double feature last year — trailers included, of course — we were primed and ready to get Thanksgiving (2023) on our schedule. Unfortunately, we came around to the idea just a few weeks too late… and this flick sort of feels like the kind you cover around the holiday it’s named for. Thankfully, 11 months later, the time has finally come to sit down at the table with Patrick Dempsey, Addison Rae, and Gina Gershon, and we’re ready to sip our Diet Pepsi and dig in. On a new episode of Spooky Tuesday, we’re seeing what Eli Roth has made of the concept he first came up with almost two decades ago (albeit a little jokingly) as we talk about CLEAR references, real historical figures, and ominous men’s first names. 

References:

https://variety.com/2024/film/columns/thanksgiving-2-addison-rae-eli-roth-1236099017/

Heyyyy, bestie. How are you doing after the last few weeks? Feeling any better? Well, we weren’t when we recorded this episode. We were still processing some pretty bad news — but that’s actually sort of to theme. On our newest Spooky Tuesday, we’re talking about Smile (2022), a movie all about trauma and trying to grin-and-bear your way through it. A few years back, this was one of the season’s most hotly anticipated flicks, but it didn’t necessarily stick the landing. Opinions were split here at Spooky Tuesday, but after Chelsea and Monica saw Smile 2 in 4DX (which totally slayed, BTW), we were finally ready to revisit it and get Sydney’s take. Join us as we discuss curses, share our theories, and lay the groundwork for our eventual episode where we give Skye Riley the shine she deserves. 

References: 

Laura Hasn't Slept clip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gZN2tXY2R9s

https://variety.com/2024/film/news/kyra-sedgwick-kevin-bacon-family-movie-1236200160/

Spookies, it’s time for our second installment of WWVVSDE (Werewolf vs. Vampire Seasonal Depression Event), and we’re keeping the party going with Van Helsing (2004). When we realized that Sydney-palooza would bring our girl back to LA this October (if you happen to be wondering about our timeline or blissful ignorance of current events lol), we knew we wanted something that would be fun to watch together, and this flick definitely fits that bill. Not only does it tick the boxes for every element of our theme, it also stars Hugh Jackman and Kate Beckinsale as monsters hunters who take on (and maybe even team up with) some classic Universal creatures. This movie dares to ask, “Is it going against god to fuck a monk?” and we’re ready to get to the bottom of that question on a new, in-person episode of Spooky Tuesday. 

References: 

https://letmegooglethat.com/?q=poop

https://letmegooglethat.com/?q=bat+bagina

The days are getting darker, Halloween has come and gone, and winter is right around the corner. If SAD is starting to set in — or just the sads in general — then we've got the perfect cure-all, and it’s The Twilight Saga: New Moon (2009). It’s got romance, monsters, and mental illness. What else could you possibly need? It’s also the start of a little something we like to call Werewolf vs. Vampire Seasonal Depression Event, where we'll be sporadically covering movies featuring werewolves, vampires, or maybe even both if you're lucky. On our latest episode, you’re the luckiest, and so are we as bonafide Twilight expert Sarah Elizabeth Gallagher helps us break it all down.

Follow Sarah Elizabeth Gallagher on TikTok, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube and check her out in Rolling Stone's Twilight retrospective here. Her podcast Actually Obsessed drops new episodes every Thursday on Apple and Spotify.

References: 

https://www.burkemuseum.org/static/truth_vs_twilight/facts.html

https://blogs.dal.ca/cinema/2020/05/07/indigenous-representation-in-the-twilight-saga-film-new-moon-by-lily-coles/#:~:text=The%20story%20that%20began%20in,form%20(Weitz%2C%202009).

Victoria Deleted Scene: https://www.tiktok.com/@sarahelizabeth_talks/video/7426778752455068974

Extended Edition Scene: https://www.reddit.com/r/twilight/comments/vw7qez/primes_new_moon_extended_edition/

After last year’s Halloween Fifth Tuesday, many discussions were had about how to celebrate the occasion again in 2024 — but, ultimately, there was only one answer that everybody was definitely 100% on board about and excited for and agreed to without any trouble. Unanimously and in perfect unison, we all chose to revisit our shared childhoods with Double, Double, Toil and Trouble (1993), the made-for-TV movie starring Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen. The tiny twins may have been well into building their empire by then (after all, they started as literal infants), but they were still getting used to the acting game, and it showed in their adorable performance as they kept accidentally looking into the camera. That said, they still gave a masterclass in sass, and they held their own amidst stars like Cloris Leachman, Eric McCormack, and Meshach Taylor. On our latest episode of Spooky Tuesday, we’re enjoying the autumnal vibes and trying not to get too bogged down in ‘90s era problematic elements as we go on a little adventure and learn the magic words: Jacuzzi jacuzzi!

The promos for Terrifier 3 claim that Art the Clown is "practically as much of a horror icon as Michael, Jason, and Freddy," and based on what Monica and Sydney saw at Midsummer Scream, that just might be true. We had to check it out for ourselves — which is why we're kicking off Sydneypalooza by throwing it back to Terrifier (2016). This movie may not have marked Art's original debut (that honor goes to All Hallows’ Eve), but it was his first solo flick and David Howard Thornton's first turn in the role. It's also batshit crazy, and we're breaking it all down on Sydney’s birthday episode of Spooky Tuesday.

References:

https://youtu.be/QIprVbrIwKk?si=AmhFPUVW7TZTJQ5z

https://www.thedailybeast.com/terrifier-actress-on-the-nude-death-scene-that-made-horror-movie-history

Girl, it's so confusing sometimes to be a girl — especially when you inject yourself with a mysterious substance that splits you into two separate bodies. Such is the case with The Substance (2024), the latest body horror flick dominating the pop culture conversation. Starring Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley as Hollywood stars who are simultaneously both One and At Odds With Each Other (you might even say they're both sides of the coin the industry loves to spend), this movie is equal parts eye candy and — well, whatever you'd call the exact opposite of that. It's not just visually provocative, though. It also prompts meaningful conversations about aging and beauty standards, and we're diving right in on a new episode of Spooky Tuesday. 

References:
https://reactormag.com/the-substance-is-a-satirical-body-horror-picture-of-dorian-gray/
https://www.out.com/film/the-substance-gay-movie-review