On Night 12 of our haunted countdown, we dive into the bleak, bone-chilling world of Robert Eggers’ The Witch — a slow-burn folk horror masterpiece steeped in historical dread, religious paranoia, and a talking goat named Black Phillip.  Join Tim and Johnathan, along with special guest filmmaker Adam Gall, as they break down this 2015 modern classic. We dig into the film’s Puritanical roots, the real history behind the witch trials, and why Anya Taylor-Joy’s debut as Thomasin still haunts us nearly a decade later.  🔥 We rate the film using our signature Average scoring system—story, scares, rewatchability, atmosphere, and more. You can score along with us using the templates on our Instagram!  🕯️ Topics include:  • The role of isolation and grief in The Witch  • Behind-the-scenes trivia and Eggers’ obsession with historical accuracy  • Black Phillip: GOAT or… goat?  • The terrifying ambiguity of religious fear ✨ Be part of the conversation! Submit your own score here: 👉 https://tr.ee/iGtZ-DpOO6 📚 Want more horror? Check out our books on Amazon: 👉 https://a.co/d/bUtniBd 🎧 Check out our friends at Zencastr and get 30% off your first 3 months of Zencastr Pro: 👉 https://zen.ai/theaveragereviews 📖 Enjoy $5.00 off your first purchase when you use Tim Umpleby’s code “TIMOTHYREADS” at checkout: 👉 https://pangobooks.com/TIMOTHYREADS 👻 Don’t forget to LIKE, COMMENT with your score for Antrum, and SUBSCRIBE for more horror deep dives as we march toward Halloween night!

Tonight, we’re summoning something dark. Join Tim and Johnathan, along with special guest Shawn from @TheHorrorVision, as we dive into Pyewacket — the 2017 folk horror film that proves the most dangerous rituals are the ones you don’t fully understand.  Written and directed by Adam MacDonald, Pyewacket follows a grieving teen who turns to the occult to lash out… and calls forth something she can’t control. With its slow-burn tension, forest isolation, and deeply emotional core, this film has carved out its own eerie space in modern horror.  We’re talking grief, guilt, the dangers of belief, and what happens when you call for help — and something answers.  So grab your ritual books, light the black candles, and join us for Night 7 of 13 Nights of Halloween.  ⸻  ✨ Be part of the conversation! Submit your own score here: 👉 https://tr.ee/iGtZ-DpOO6 📚 Want more horror? Check out our books on Amazon: 👉 https://a.co/d/bUtniBd 🎧 Check out our friends at Zencastr and get 30% off your first 3 months of Zencastr Pro: 👉 https://zen.ai/theaveragereviews 📖 Enjoy $5.00 off your first purchase when you use Tim Umpleby’s code “TIMOTHYREADS” at checkout: 👉 https://pangobooks.com/TIMOTHYREADS

It’s Night 10 of 13 Nights of Halloween, and we’re heading to the eerie, windswept fields of Iceland for one of the strangest entries in modern folk horror: Lamb (2021).  Directed by Valdimar Jóhannsson and starring Noomi Rapace, this slow-burn A24 film blends rural isolation, ancient superstition, and deep emotional grief—with a sheep-headed child at the center of it all. Is it horror? Is it a tragedy? Is it just really, really boring? We’re diving in.  Join Tim and Johnathan as they discuss the production, symbolism, awards buzz, and why Lamb has become one of the most polarizing movies in recent folk horror.  💀 Want to join in the scoring? Head over to our Instagram (@theaveragereviewspodcast) and grab a scorecard to rate along with us. Drop your score in the comments—your opinion helps us build a better average!  👻 And don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe to keep up with the rest of 13 Nights of Halloween!  ✨ Be part of the conversation! Submit your own score here: 👉 https://tr.ee/iGtZ-DpOO6 📚 Want more horror? Check out our books on Amazon: 👉 https://a.co/d/bUtniBd 🎧 Check out our friends at Zencastr and get 30% off your first 3 months of Zencastr Pro: 👉 https://zen.ai/theaveragereviews 📖 Enjoy $5.00 off your first purchase when you use Tim Umpleby’s code “TIMOTHYREADS” at checkout: 👉 https://pangobooks.com/TIMOTHYREADS

Tonight we wander into the whispering fields of Nebraska with Children of the Corn—Stephen King’s short story-turned-long movie that features killer kids, confusing theology, and some of the wildest child acting this side of a school play gone wrong.  🎙️ Join Tim, Johnathan and Rook as they battle through 1984’s Children of the Corn, a movie that asks, “What if the real horror… was organized child labor?” Okay, maybe not, but there is a lot of slow-walking and yelling “OUTLANDER!”  We’ll score it using our Average Reviews system—breaking down story, scares, rewatchability, atmosphere, and originality. You can rate along with us using the templates on our Instagram!  🕯️ Highlights:  • Why Isaac is an unsettling mix of demon child and cranky deacon  • Malachai’s reign of red-headed terror  • The wild tonal swings between horror, drama, and accidental comedy  • “He Who Walks Behind the Rows” (a.k.a. the fog machine with bad VFX)  👇 LIKE the episode, COMMENT with your own score, and SUBSCRIBE as we count down to Halloween night!  —  ✨ Be part of the conversation! Submit your own score here: 👉 https://tr.ee/iGtZ-DpOO6 ⸻  📚 Want more horror? Check out our books on Amazon: 👉 https://a.co/d/bUtniBd  🎧 Check out our friends at Zencastr and get 30% off your first 3 months of Zencastr Pro: 👉 https://zen.ai/theaveragereviews  📖 Enjoy $5.00 off your first purchase when you use Tim Umpleby’s code “TIMOTHYREADS” at checkout: 👉 https://pangobooks.com/TIMOTHYREADS  #ChildrenOfTheCorn #StephenKing #FolkHorror #13NightsOfHalloween #HorrorPodcast #TheAverageReviews #80sHorror #Zencastr

It’s Night 7 of our 13 Nights of Halloween series—and this one’s extra special. We’re joined by our friend and horror archivist Steven from After Hrs Video to help us celebrate our 100th episode of The Average Reviews!  And what better way to mark a milestone than by getting lost in the woods with one of the most iconic horror films of the last 30 years: The Blair Witch Project.  Released in 1999 and shot on a shoestring budget, The Blair Witch Project changed the horror landscape forever. With its shaky cam, raw performances, and groundbreaking viral marketing campaign, it blurred the lines between fiction and reality—and terrified audiences into thinking it might just be real.  🎙️ In this episode:  • We dig into the film’s production and legendary DIY marketing  • Talk found footage origins and what made it work  • Debate whether it still holds up—or if nostalgia is doing the heavy lifting  • And break it all down using The Average scoring system: story, scares, atmosphere, rewatchability, and more  ✨ Be part of the conversation! Submit your own score here: 👉 https://tr.ee/iGtZ-DpOO6  📚 Want more horror? Check out our books on Amazon: 👉 https://a.co/d/bUtniBd  🎧 Check out our friends at Zencastr and get 30% off your first 3 months of Zencastr Pro: 👉 https://zen.ai/theaveragereviews  📖 Enjoy $5.00 off your first purchase when you use Tim Umpleby’s code “TIMOTHYREADS” at checkout: 👉 https://pangobooks.com/TIMOTHYREADS  🕯️ LIKE the video, COMMENT your own Blair Witch score, and SUBSCRIBE as we count down to Halloween night!  ⸻  #TheBlairWitchProject #FoundFootageHorror #13NightsOfHalloween #HorrorPodcast #TheAverageReviews #AfterHrsVideo #100thEpisode #Zencastr

It’s Night 6 of The 13 Nights of Halloween: Folk Horror Edition — and tonight, we’re heading down to the Louisiana bayou for The Skeleton Key (2005). 🌙✨  Tim and Johnathan are joined by Travis from @thenightclubpodcast, who brings his deep knowledge to help us unravel this Southern Gothic gem. Together, we explore the movie’s unique mix of hoodoo magic, decaying mansions, and generational curses, all wrapped in humid tension and creeping dread.  🔥 In this episode, we dive into: • How The Skeleton Key blends folk horror with Southern Gothic roots • The real-world folklore behind hoodoo practices • That unforgettable twist ending — and how it redefines belief as power • The film’s legacy as one of the most underrated supernatural thrillers of the 2000s  👁️ “You don’t believe — that’s your problem.”  ✨ Be part of the conversation! Submit your own score here: 👉 https://tr.ee/iGtZ-DpOO6  📚 Want more horror? Check out our books on Amazon: 👉 https://a.co/d/bUtniBd  🎧 Check out our friends at Zencastr and get 30% off your first 3 months of Zencastr Pro: 👉 https://zen.ai/theaveragereviews  📖 Enjoy $5.00 off your first purchase when you use Tim Umpleby’s code “TIMOTHYREADS” at checkout: 👉 https://pangobooks.com/TIMOTHYREADS  💀 Huge thanks to Travis from @thenightclubpodcast for joining us and lending his insight on the history, culture, and fear behind The Skeleton Key.  👻 Don’t forget to LIKE, COMMENT your score, and SUBSCRIBE for more haunted deep dives as we count down to Halloween night!  #TheSkeletonKey #13NightsOfHalloween #FolkHorror #SouthernGothic #Hoodoo #TheNightClubPodcast #TheAverageReviews #HorrorPodcast #KateHudson #LouisianaHorror #SupernaturalThriller #MovieDiscussion #Halloween2025 #ScareScore

🎃 Night 5 of The 13 Nights of Halloween: Folk Horror Edition! 🎃  Tonight, we’re heading deep into the dark woods for The Ritual (2017) — a chilling blend of grief, guilt, and Norse mythology that proves some paths should never be taken. 🌲🔥  Tim and Johnathan are joined by GC from @facethemovies to explore one of the best modern folk horror entries of the last decade. Together, they unravel the film’s themes of masculine vulnerability, trauma, and the monstrous power of ancient gods that lurk just beyond the tree line.  💀 In this episode: • How The Ritual redefined modern creature design • The influence of Norse folklore and pagan worship • The film’s emotional weight and survival-horror tension • Why it stands tall among A24-style psychological horror  ✨ Be part of the conversation! Submit your own score here: 👉 https://tr.ee/iGtZ-DpOO6  📚 Want more horror? Check out our books on Amazon: 👉 https://a.co/d/bUtniBd  🎧 Check out our friends at Zencastr and get 30% off your first 3 months of Zencastr Pro: 👉 https://zen.ai/theaveragereviews  📖 Enjoy $5.00 off your first purchase when you use Tim Umpleby’s code “TIMOTHYREADS” at checkout: 👉 https://pangobooks.com/TIMOTHYREADS  🔥 Big thanks to GC from @facethemovies for joining us — go show him some love and check out his channel for more great movie talk!  👻 Don’t forget to LIKE, COMMENT your score for The Ritual, and SUBSCRIBE as we continue the countdown toward Halloween night!  #TheRitual #13NightsOfHalloween #FolkHorror #NetflixHorror #TheAverageReviews #FaceTheMovies #MonsterDesign #NorseMythology #PsychologicalHorror #MovieDiscussion #HorrorPodcast #ScareScore #Halloween2025

Tonight we’re digging into Antrum: The Deadliest Film Ever Made (2018) — a film wrapped in urban legend and cursed cinema mythology. Marketed as a “lost” 1970s film that supposedly killed its audiences, Antrum leans on its reputation as the “most dangerous movie ever made.” But does it actually deliver the scares, or is it all smoke, sigils, and no fire?  We break down the setup, the Blair Witch–style marketing, and why the idea of Antrum is scarier than the film itself. Folk horror thrives on myth, ritual, and rumor — and Antrum wants to live there. But does it earn its place?  ✨ Be part of the conversation! Submit your own score here: 👉 https://tr.ee/iGtZ-DpOO6  📚 Want more horror? Check out our books on Amazon: 👉 https://a.co/d/bUtniBd  🎧 Check out our friends at Zencastr and get 30% off your first 3 months of Zencastr Pro: 👉 https://zen.ai/theaveragereviews  📖 Enjoy $5.00 off your first purchase when you use Tim Umpleby’s code “TIMOTHYREADS” at checkout: 👉 https://pangobooks.com/TIMOTHYREADS  👻 Don’t forget to LIKE, COMMENT with your score for Antrum, and SUBSCRIBE for more horror deep dives as we march toward Halloween night!  #Antrum #13NightsOfHalloween #FolkHorror #TheAverageReviews #CursedCinema

In this episode, Tim and Johnathan dive into the grim, atmospheric world of Pumpkinhead (1988) and welcome special guest Aaron from A&B Horror to break down why this revenge-driven creature feature perfectly fits our Folk Horror theme. From rural curses to supernatural justice, we explore the movie’s eerie mood, practical effects, and lasting impact on horror fans.  📚 Want more horror? Check out our books on Amazon: 👉 https://a.co/d/bUtniBd 🎧 Check out our friends at Zencastr and get 30% off your first 3 months of Zencastr Pro: 👉 https://zen.ai/theaveragereviews 📖 Enjoy $5.00 off your first purchase when you use Tim Umpleby’s code “TIMOTHYREADS” at checkout: 👉 https://pangobooks.com/TIMOTHYREADS 💀 Special thanks to Aaron from A&B Horror for joining us in this episode—go show him some love!  👍 Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more horror deep dives.  #Pumpkinhead #HorrorPodcast #FolkHorror #80sHorror #CreatureFeature #StanWinston #TheAverageReviews

It’s Night 2 of our 13 Nights of Halloween: Folk Horror Edition, and tonight we’re burning bright with the one that started it all—The Wicker Man (1973). 🌾🔥  Join Tim and Johnathan (no guests this time!) as they dig into the haunting legacy of this cult classic. From its influence on folk horror to its jaw-dropping ending, we’re unpacking why this film still sends chills down our spines—without a drop of blood.  Along the way, we explore:  • How The Wicker Man redefined horror in the 70s  • Why Sergeant Howie is the true outsider  • The eerie power of belief systems in horror  • And, of course, THAT ending.  👻 Don’t forget: You can score the movie with us using one of our official systems—find them on our Instagram and let us know how you’d rate it! Every voice helps build The Average.  🕯️ Also, make sure to check out Tim’s horror novels—The Harvest of Briarville and Like, Comment, Survive—available now on Amazon. Perfect Halloween reads to keep the chills going long after the credits roll.  📌 LIKE • COMMENT your score • SUBSCRIBE to join us for the full countdown to Halloween!  ✨ Be part of the conversation! Submit your own score here: 👉 https://tr.ee/iGtZ-DpOO6  📚 Want more horror? Check out our books on Amazon: 👉 https://a.co/d/bUtniBd  🎧 Check out our friends at Zencastr and get 30% off your first 3 months of Zencastr Pro: 👉 https://zen.ai/theaveragereviews  📖 Enjoy $5.00 off your first purchase when you use Tim Umpleby’s code “TIMOTHYREADS” at checkout: 👉 https://pangobooks.com/TIMOTHYREADS  ⸻  🎧 Prefer audio only? This episode will be on all major podcast platforms tomorrow!  ⸻  #TheWickerMan #FolkHorror #13NightsOfHalloween #HorrorMovieReview #Halloween2025 #TheAverageReviewsPodcast #HorrorCommunity #CultClassic #1970sHorror #EdwardWoodward #ChristopherLee #LikeCommentSurvive #HarvestOfBriarville #HorrorBooks #YouTubeHorror #MovieDiscussion #SpookySeason #ScareScore #MoviePodcast #HorrorNerds #WickerMan1973