The Fear of God: A Horror Movie Podcast

We have another special interview for you for a film that's hitting theaters this weekend (Oct, 3, 2025). BONE LAKE is a sharp, clever, sensual thriller that explores the nature of trust and suspicion in relationships through a sleek and disarming, twist-filled narrative. A couple's vacation at a secluded estate is upended when they're forced to share the mansion with a mysterious couple. A dream getaway spirals into a nightmarish maze of sex, lies, and manipulation, triggering a battle for survival.

It's a tightly scripted and wonderfully performed suspense thriller, with some big narrative surprises and notable thematic depth. We had the chance to sit briefly with the director, Mercedes Bryce Morgan, to talk about her unique approach to this fun, sleek, and gleefully twisted film.

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We continue our date with destiny during this year's spooky season run by examining FINAL DESTINATION 2, the second installment in the franchise of elaborate, menacing deaths. This one ramps up both the cleverness and the humor for a remarkably fun and invigorating sequel that arguably surpasses its predecessor by better understanding the inherent premise.

We're joined by friend of the show Sarah Welch-Larson and new friend of the show Joe George to break down all of the zany, bloody, and absurdly contrived ways that death forces these characters to pay for thwarting him. Along the way, we make some surprisingly poignant observations about how films like this can remind us of our fragility and to not take ourselves too seriously.

Also featuring a Patron-only segment about THE SIMPSONS, Treehouse of Horror XVII, this is a funny and lively conversation that we really hope you enjoy.

Patron Only Segment: The Simpsons, Treehouse of Horror XVII

8:59 - Two Questions with Joe George

17:31 - Sarah Welch-Larson reports on TIFF (Toronto International Film Festival)

29:56 - FINAL DESTINATION 2

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We have a very special interview for you today about an upcoming book release that's perfect for The Fear of God spooky season.

Friend of the show, professor Brandon Grafius, will release his powerful and thought-provoking book SCARED BY THE BIBLE: THE ROOTS OF HORROR IN SCRIPTURE on October 7th. Those who primarily view the Bible as a testament of faith may not recognize that it contains some of the world's first horror stories. Before Godzilla, there were the monsters arising from the sea in the book of Daniel. Before The Wicker Man, there was the folk horror violence of the book of Judges. And before The Fly, Leviticus and Paul understood that our bodies are untrustworthy. Sometimes, the Bible has decided that the best way to help us understand the world in new ways is to scare us.

Brandon's book invites us to view both the text of the Bible and the horror genre write large in fresh and fascinating ways. His book is remarkably accessible, deeply engaging, and often quite moving. We sit down with him to briefly discuss its origins, its heart, and its intent. We can't overstate how much we think listeners who enjoy our show will love this book. You can purchase it here, or request a copy at your local library.

You can also check out a really cool trailer for the book here. And meanwhile, we hope you enjoy this conversation!

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It's time for SPOOKY SEASON!!! We're continuing a tradition four years running where as we approach October, we make a run through an entire horror franchise. This year, we're dancing with death (the Mack Daddy!) as we encounter each of the FINAL DESTINATION films. We're starting with a Redux episode of the original from 2000, which we'd previously covered back in 2019 (our 99th episode, actually).

We're joined by friends of the show Brandon Grafius and Charlie Baber to discuss where the "ending" all began. We discuss the possibilities of the premise and whether or not this first installment really understands the Mack Daddy it's messing with, as well as our very real compulsion as human beings to confront our own mortality and the limits of our control.

Also including a Patron-only segment about The Simpsons Treehouse of Horror XVI, this is a fun and brisk conversation that we really hope you enjoy.

Patron Only Segment: The Simpsons, Treehouse of Horror XVI

8:37 - FINAL DESTINATION REDUX

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We welcome a new guest to the FoG this week with a specially curated episode of an 80s cult classic. Lauded filmmaker Michael Mann really only made one traditional horror film, the 1983 chiller THE KEEP. It centers just before the second world war, when the Nazi regime was rising in power. When a small squadron of soldiers disturb a vast crypt in a remote Romanian village, they must turn to a Jewish historian for help in defeating the ancient demon they unleash. The film is often schlocky and disjointed, but features a remarkably compelling central theme, focusing on the nature of power both natural and supernatural -- and what emerges when it's wielded by those ill-equipped to understand it.

We're joined by fellow film critic Thomas Manning for an in-depth discussion of this decidedly bizarre entry in Mann's filmography. Also featuring a Patron-Only segment where we briefly look at five landmark films in Mann's catalogue, this is a fun and hearty episode that we really hope you enjoy.

Patron Only Segment: Take Five: The Films of Michael Mann

5:46 - Two Questions with Thomas Manning

19:56 - THE KEEP

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We have another special interview for you this weekend for a very scary chiller called TRAUMATIKA. From director Pierre Tsigaridis who cowrote the film with his collaborator Maxime Rancon, Traumatika takes viewers to the edge with a nightmarish vision of paranormal terror and generational trauma. Mikey's night terrors become reality when his mother begins showing signs of demonic possession. What he's about to experience will haunt him for the rest of his life and claim countless lives across generations.

We sat down with Pierre and Maxime to talk about their film's deeply rooted horror influences, including slashers, vengeful ghosts, and the French extremism movement of the early 2000s. The result is a film that is as provocative as it is compelling. And, we should say again, it's very scary.

Traumatika opens in theaters as of September 12, so check your local listings and we hope you enjoy this special interview!

**Please note, the interview does contain minor spoilers

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We have a couple of special bonus interviews for you this weekend on films to check out in your local theater. The first is RABBIT TRAP, a haunting and beautiful film about a musician (Rosy McEwan) and her husband (Dev Patel) who move to a remote house in Wales. When the unconventional music they create disturbs some local, ancient folk magic, they encounter a nameless child (Jade Croot) who comes to them intent on infiltrating their lives.

We sat down with writer and director Bryn Chainey to discuss his lyrical, immersive, and captivating film. From the first few moments of our conversation, you can get a sense for how thoughtful and poetic Bryn is as a storyteller. His film is richly textured, hypnotic, often dreadful, and disarmingly moving. Featuring strong performances, a potent script, and a lush sound design that tells a story within itself, Rabbit Trap is an exciting feature film debut that we highly encourage you to seek out.

We'll hope you'll check it out, in theaters as of September 12, and we hope you enjoy our conversation!

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If you listened to our episode yesterday about Total Recall, you also heard an exciting announcement about our latest adventure. Starting in October, we're collaborating with Troubadour Booksellers to present our very first book club: FoGadour.

Once a month, you're invited to the Charlotte, NC area to visit Troubadour Booksellers for a discussion with fellow friends and FoGgers about that month's book. Our lineup begins with Witchcraft for Wayward Girls by Grady Hendrix, followed by Jesus and John Wayne by Kristen Kobe du Mez for November, Charles Dickens' immortal classic A Christmas Carol in December, and we'll kick off the new year with David Gushee's book Changing Our Minds.

If you're local (or driving distance) from the Charlotte area, we'd love to see you in person. But stay tuned here as well for ways you can join us in a broader internet community as we read and discuss books together. In case you missed yesterday's episode, here's a special presentation telling you all about FoGadour. We hope to see you there!

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We get our butts to Mars this week for a conversation about an Arnold Schwarzenegger 90s sci-fi classic. Based on a story by Philip K. Dick, TOTAL RECALL was directed by Paul Verhoeven and features intense visual effects, a complex plotline, and some surprisingly rich thematic concerns. It's also full of bullet-riddled action set pieces and a lot of wry humor.

We're joined this week by Scott Tynes Miller, proprietor of Troubadour Booksellers in Charlotte, NC to discuss the ways memory and reality are intertwined and how they can be manipulated by counterfeits we sometimes willingly embrace.

Also featured on this episode is an upcoming announcement about an official Fear of God Book Club starting next month, partnered with Troubadour Booksellers, that we're very excited to tell you about. It's a hearty and thoughtful episode this week and we really hope you enjoy it!

7:26 - FoGadour Book Club (partnered with Troubadour Booksellers)

25:55 - TOTAL RECALL

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As we head closer to the 2025 spooky season, we're offering a grab bag of assorted films for you, continuing this week with 28 YEARS LATER, the long-deferred sequel to the groundbreaking thriller 28 Days Later from 2002. The creative team of Danny Boyle and Alex Garland return to the world of the infected to offer up a thoughtful and disarmingly poignant story about the survivors of the viral infection who not only struggle to sustain life under the constant threat of attack but also must face the harsh realities of life beyond merely the trappings of the apocalypse.

Nathan is joined this week by Kate Micham, his sister and new friend to the show, to dive into this film's terrors and wonders, reminding us all to remember that we must die and to remember that we must love. Also featuring a Patron-only "Whatcha" segment, it's a sensitive and heartfelt conversation that we really hope you enjoy!

Patron Only Segment: Whatcha Watchin' / Readin' / Listenin' To?

6:49 - 28 YEARS LATER

12:31 - Interlude - Two Questions with Kate Micham

24:35 - Back to 28 YEARS LATER

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