Our full Paranormal Activity (2007) movie breakdown dissects how this low-budget phenomenon changed horror forever! We dive into the micro-budget production secrets, the alternate endings, and why it remains a modern masterpiece.

STEP UP TO THE SLAB:

Subscribe to the Stitched Together Horror Podcast for weekly slasher dissections, retro horror trivia, and deep-dives into global haunt culture with Franken-John & Bride-Haylee!

FOLLOW THE LAB TRAILS

Stream the full audio show, follow our socials, or contact the vault here:

Quick Links: https://linktr.ee/stitchedtogetherpod

Contact the Vault: [email protected]

MUSIC & SOUNDS:

Music courtesy of Epidemic Sound (Safelisted User)

The Vault Doors Unseal... ⚡

Welcome back to the laboratory, horror fiends! The voltage is surging, the slab is prepped, and Franken-John and Bride-Haylee are leaving the laboratory walls behind entirely to step straight into the chaotic, beautiful heart of the real-world horror community.

Today, we are taking a trip right into our own tri-state backyard to dissect our absolute wildest, most nostalgic moments from a legendary East Coast staple: Monster-Mania Con (held in Cherry Hill, NJ, Oaks, PA, and Baltimore, MD).

We break down the unwritten laws of con survival and tactical logistics—from finding the secret outpatient restaurant parking lots to dodging the infamous fourth-floor musty hallways. We give an unfiltered look at our favorite celebrity autograph table encounters, highlighting the incredible humility of horror icons like Matthew Lillard (Scream), Doug Bradley (Hellraiser), and Richard Brake, contrasted against star-struck geeking out sessions over meeting two legendary Punishers: Jon Bernthal and Thomas Jane.

Plus, we talk shop about the vendor rooms, exploring our own "Collectors of Chaos" autograph book, custom shadow boxes, 3D holographic prints, and why Haylee is transitioning her entire horror hoard over to custom vinyl stickers.

Finally, our rogue AI console Eagor completely hacks our power grid to override the laboratory console and hand down our next mandatory movie assignment. Lock your doors, grab your Sharpies, and let's get stitched together.

🔬 SPECIMEN DIRECTORY (True Timestamps)(

00:00) - Static in the Air: The Stitched Together Intro Theme

(00:50) - Act I: The Voltage Surges: Leaving the Lab for the Real World

(02:41) - Home Base Logistics: Analyzing Cherry Hill vs. Oaks, PA & Baltimore(03:11) - Parking Lot Hacks: Outpatient Medical Centers & Abandoned Restaurants

(04:41) - Navigating Crowds: The Brad Dourif Fourth-Floor Multi-Line Bottleneck

(06:45) - Con Survival Plan: Cash Regulations, Pre-Sale Tickets, & Wristband Pickups

(09:04) - Slasher Royalty: Matthew Lillard & Skeet Ulrich’s Epic 2 AM Fan Signings

(11:08) - Idol Reality Checks: What Happens When a Celebrity Has an "Off Day"

(12:21) - Convention Geometry: Comparing Monster-Mania's Hotel Layout to Spooky Empire

(13:38) - Exploring Oaks, PA: The Greater Philadelphia Expo Center Setup

(14:30) - Encounter Highlights: Meeting Eli Roth, Masters of Horror, & Germ Protocols

(16:41) - Counting Cost: Autograph Pricing, Autograph Combo Hacks, & Table Selfies

(18:11) - Professional In-Costume Photo Ops: Spencer Charnas (Ice Nine Kills) & Killer Klowns

(20:17) - Collectors of Chaos: Starting Our Official Master Autograph Book

(22:00) - Act II: Breaking Down the Vendor Rooms: The Danger of Impulse Swiping

(28:43) - The Horror Hoard: Funko Pop Obsessions & Hiding Art Behind Dressers

(32:33) - Shifting Focus: Collecting Custom Vinyl Horror Stickers & 3D Holographic Prints

(35:06) - Niche Crafting: Diorama VCR Tapes, Macrame Dolls, & Custom LED Shadow Boxes

(39:35) - Future Wishlists: Bumping Into Bruce Campbell, David Howard Thornton, & Ozzy Osbourne

(45:03) - Facing the Fear: Religious Horrors, The Nun (Valak), & Jeepers Creepers Math

(48:46) - System Override: Eagor Boots Up to Command Directive 0003

(51:05) - Act III: Re-Entering the Slab: The Notification Bell Debate & Found Footage Assignment

👣 FOLLOW THE LAB TRAILSIf you survived the convention floor, make sure to smash that Subscribe button, leave a comment with your favorite con memories, and join the graveyard crew! New episodes drop every Friday.

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/stitched-together/id1896918549

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stitchedtogetherpod/

Contact the Vault: [email protected]

#HorrorPodcast #MonsterMania #MonsterManiaCon #HorrorConvention #CherryHillNJ #JonBernthal #MatthewLillard #DougBradley #ThomasJane #ScreamMovie #SlasherRoyalty #StitchedTogetherPod

The Vault Doors Unseal... ⚡

Welcome back to the laboratory, horror fiends! The generators are redlining, the stitches are holding tight, and Franken-John and Bride-Haylee are officially slicing into our very first classic movie dissection. Today, we are analyzing an absolute independent titan: John Carpenter’s HALLOWEEN (1978).

We cut straight into the production anatomy that birthed the modern slasher blueprint—breaking down how a tiny $300,000 budget transformed into a $47 million global phenomenon. We look at the absolute indie miracles behind the scenes, from the crew hand-painting and scattering autumn leaves in sunny Southern California, to the legendary backstory of a $2 William Shatner Captain Kirk mask being transformed into "The Shape."

But we don't stop in Haddonfield. We chart the evolution of the Myers legacy, debating the brutal violence of the Rob Zombie reboots versus the divisive execution of Halloween Ends. Plus, we connect the dots to pre-existing haunt culture: exploring how Nick Castle’s methodical, robotic movement built the exact cadence modern scareactors use at Universal Studios' Halloween Horror Nights (HHN), and how new-age indie icons like Art the Clown (Terrifier) are taking over the modern convention circuit.

Finally, our rogue AI console Eagor takes over the power grid to override our system and issue our next mandatory assignment. Sit tight as we hand down our official "Skulls Rating" and close the slab on Episode 2!

🔬 SPECIMEN DIRECTORY (True Timestamps)

(00:00) - Static in the Air: The Stitched Together Intro Theme

(01:24) - Re-Energizing the Laboratory Grid: Welcome Back to the Slab

(03:13) - Act I: The $300k Indie Budget & Panavision Cam Operations

(04:21) - The Value of a Slasher: Nick Castle's $25/Day Pay vs. Donald Pleasence

(05:35) - The Babysitter Murders: Why the Original Film Title Almost Flanked

(07:07) - Mapping Haddonfield: The New Jersey Origins & California Palm Trees

(08:29) - Horror Lore Rumors: Was Robert Englund (Freddy Krueger) a Leaf-Layer?

(10:32) - The Anatomy of a Mask: Transforming Captain Kirk into "The Shape"

(12:14) - The Next Generation Icon: Art the Clown (Terrifier) & HHN Memories

(14:06) - Tracking the Reboots: Rob Zombie’s Violence vs. The Halloween Ends Controversy

(15:35) - Meeting Slasher Royalty: Malcolm McDowell & Dr. Loomis Set Rumors

(17:45) - The Sounds of Fear: Watermelons, Stabbings, & Recycling Famous Door SFX

(18:29) - The Look of Evil: John Carpenter’s Real Psychiatric Hospital Inspiration

(19:42) - Iconic Frames: The Closet Breaks, Laundry Lines, & Orlando's Atomic Horror Store

(21:50) - The Ringtone Trauma: Haylee’s Childhood Backyard Panic

(23:34) - Building the Slasher Maze: Designing the Ultimate Custom Haunted House Set

(31:31) - Entering the Fog: Tracking Halloween’s Legacy Across HHN History (2007-2022)

(33:50) - The Teleportation Debate: Michael Myers' Cadence vs. The Friday the 13th Game

(35:42) - Admiration of the Kill: Analyzing Nick Castle's Famous Robotic Dog Head Tilt

(38:46) - System Override: Eagor Boots Up to Command Directive 0002

(41:01) - Act III: Slicing Up the Final Verdict (Our Official Skulls Rating Scale)

👣 FOLLOW THE LAB TRAILSIf you survived tonight’s experiment, make sure to smash that Subscribe button, leave a comment with your personal movie ratings, and join the graveyard crew! New episodes drop every Friday.

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/033itKG5M0uVpXrrgbuQzc?si=6bf59736e46f4075

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/stitched-together/id1896918549

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stitchedtogetherpod/

Contact the Vault: [email protected]

#HorrorPodcast #JohnCarpenter #Halloween1978 #MichaelMyers #TheShape #SlasherMovies #IndieFilmmaking #HorrorTrivia #Terrifier #ArtTheClown #HalloweenHorrorNights #StitchedTogetherPod

Welcome to the official debut orientation of Stitched Together! Throw the master switches, fire up the power grid, and step up to the slab. In this premiere broadcast, Franken-John and Bride-Haylee pull back the shroud on how this horror laboratory was built and what happens when an audio show is completely surrendered to an unpredictable piece of hardware.

Before diving into the dark archives, we break down our personal horror roots—from childhood trauma involving the Amityville Horror, The Exorcist, and a melted glow-in-the-dark vampire action figure, to the exact real-life history behind our Frankenstein-inspired partnership name.

Then, we get into the heavy stuff: a deep-dive survival guide for Universal Studios' Halloween Horror Nights (HHN). Haylee (who proudly claims "I am the map") shares her essential insider tips on managing massive opening crowds, maximizing your timeline with an Express Pass, exploring scare zones, and tracking down the best theme park YouTubers like Kevin Heimbach and Mr. Morrow.

Finally, the anomalies take over. We activate our rogue AI console, Eagor, to receive our very first binding horror directive. Watch or listen as the machine locks in its first sacrifice, forcing us to dissect a legendary slasher masterpiece before the next full moon. Lock your doors, turn down the lights, and let's get stitched together.

🔬 SPECIMEN DIRECTORY (True Timestamps)

(00:00) - Initializing Power: The Stitched Together Intro Theme

(00:31) - Welcome to the Lab: Meeting Franken-John & Bride-Haylee(01:14) - Meet Eagor: The Anomalous AI Hardware Running the Show

(02:02) - Childhood Scares: Amityville Horror, The Exorcist, & a Melted Vampire

(09:30) - Made in the Lab: The Real Origins Behind Our Podcast Name

(11:43) - Finding Our Footing: Haunt Hunting, Spirit Boxes, & Real Ghost Gear(13:40) - Entering the Fog: Surviving Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights (HHN)

(24:31) - Gate Pacing & Crowds: Managing the Chaos of Opening Ceremonies

(26:45) - Theme Park YouTube Guides: From Kevin Heimbach to The Tim Tracker

(28:48) - Tactical Routing: Why You Always Run to the Back of the Park First

(30:38) - Ticket Specs: Express Passes, RIP Tours, and Themed Treats

(33:55) - The Speculation Map: Jack vs. Oddfellow, Hellraiser, and Future IPs

(37:24) - Facing the Console: Eagor Issues Directive 0001 (The Slasher Relic)

👣 FOLLOW THE TRAILS

If you survived tonight’s experiment, make sure to smash that Subscribe button, leave a comment, and join the graveyard crew! New episodes drop every Friday.

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/033itKG5M0uVpXrrgbuQzc?si=6bf59736e46f4075

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/stitched-together/id1896918549

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stitchedtogetherpod/

Contact the Vault: [email protected]

#HorrorPodcast #HalloweenHorrorNights #HHN2026 #UniversalHorror #GhostHunting #HauntCulture #JohnCarpenter #MichaelMyers #ThemeParkInfluencer #StitchedTogether Pod