The Fear of God: A Horror Movie Podcast

We're almost to the end of our look back at the best horror films of 2023 but we couldn't possibly leave the series without discussing the robotic sensation from Blumhouse known as M3GAN. We're joined by friends of the show Drew Pasanen and Jackson Harper for a strikingly thoughtful and very open conversation about our evolving relationship with technology and the effect it is having on our humanity.

Also featuring a Patron-only conversation about the final episode of Mike Flanagan's series for Netflix, THE FALL OF THE HOUSE OF USHER, this is a really great episode and we hope you all enjoy it.

Patron Only Segment: THE FALL OF THE HOUSE OF USHER, Episode 8, "The Raven"

5:17 - M3GAN

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As we continue our look back at some of the best horror films of 2023, we encounter a truly unique and original epic as only acclaimed director Ari Aster could conceive it. BEAU IS AFRAID chronicles the bizarre and varied adventures of Beau (Joaquin Phoenix) as he struggles to find his way back home following the news that his mother has died. The film makes some bold choices in its exploration of guilt, fear, identity, despair, and so, so much more. We're joined by Continuity Guru Steven Beckley to help us try to get to the bottom of this wildly creative and highly personal intimate epic that is often as lovely as it is horrific as it is hysterical as it is confounding.

Also featuring a Patron-only segment about Mike Flanagan's THE FALL OF THE HOUSE OF USHER, Episode 7, this is a hearty, thoughtful, and vulnerable conversation that we hope you all enjoy.

Patron Only Segment: THE FALL OF THE HOUSE OF USHER, Episode 7, "The Pit and the Pendulum"

3:14 - BEAU IS AFRAID

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Time to pump up those sneakers and pop that denim jacket collar because the Fear of God is going 80s this week as we continue our look back at some of the best films of 2023 with a discussion about the time-travel horror comedy, TOTALLY KILLER. We're joined by foreign correspondent and Quarterly Queen Vera Goudie this week as we examine this delightfully funny slasher that took us all by surprise. Despite some questionable production choices, this impressive script filled with endearing performances (including a really strong turn from Kiernan Shipka) gave us the chance not only to laugh along and have some fun, but also to explore the importance of showing grace when reconciling ourselves with who we are and who we used to be.

Also featuring a Patron-only segment about Mike Flanagan's THE FALL OF THE HOUSE OF USHER, episode 6, this is a fun and heartfelt conversation that we really hope you enjoy!

Patron Only Segment: THE FALL OF THE HOUSE OF USHER, Episode 6, "Goldbug"

4:59 - TOTALLY KILLER

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We continue our look back at the best horror films of 2023 with a film many placed at the very top of their lists. TALK TO ME was first discussed on the FoG back when it hit theaters when we were joined by Quarterly Queen Jess Fischli and former Literary Correspondent Meridith Curran in an impromptu chat. Now, it gets the full FoG treatment as we team up with friends of the show and authors Matt Ruff and JR Forasteros to get into all of the grisly and grimy as well as the thoughtful and provocative. We explore the varied themes the film is interested in, including whether or not it fully lands effectively on those themes: including our choices amidst the power of influence, the history of possession films, and the complexity of its approach to the sensitive subject of self-harm.

Also featuring a Patron-only segment discussing episode 5 of Mike Flanagan's THE FALL OF THE HOUSE OF USHER -- "The Tell-Tale Heart" -- and the iconic Edgar Allan Poe short story it's based on. This is a fun and thoughtful discussion that we really hope you enjoy.

Patron Only Segment: THE FALL OF THE HOUSE OF USHER, Episode 5, "The Tell-Tale Heart"

3:21 - TALK TO ME

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In the summer of 2022, we covered a brief series of horror documentaries and during that time, our Patrons also got to hear our thoughts on five episodes of the Shudder Original documentary series CURSED FILMS.

As a special surprise release this week, we're collecting those brief conversations together for our broader listenership to enjoy. Featured here are our thoughts on the episodes of Cursed Films which examined the haunted legacies of the films Poltergeist, The Omen, The Serpent and the Rainbow, The Crow, and The Twilight Zone: The Movie.

We'll be back with our regular programming this Tuesday, but we hope you enjoy this special surprise bonus. If you'd like to hear discussions like this as they occur, please consider becoming a Patron at Patreon.com/thefearofgodpodcast.

1:00 - Cursed Films: Poltergeist

19:34 - Cursed Films: The Serpent and the Rainbow

48:26 - Cursed Films: The Omen

59:53 - Cursed Films: The Crow & The Twilight Zone: The Movie

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We continue our look back at the horror films of 2023 with one of the most inventive and creative films of last year, as equally likely to bore you to tears as it is to terrify you to your core. SKINAMARINK is an experimental horror film (one of a handful we've seen released in the past couple of years) that strips away most of our comfortable and familiar narrative conventions to immerse us in something more visceral and unnerving. To help us unpack this wildly unique experiment, we've invited along friends of the show Brandon Grafius and Leland Merritt to dissect the ways this film's vision remains so difficult to dismiss, whether you loved or hated it. The result is an invigorating discussion that invokes a gamut of emotions and perspectives, not unlike the potential in this film itself.

Also featuring a Patron-only segment about Netflix's THE FALL OF THE HOUSE OF USHER, Episode 5, this is a conversation you won't want to miss and we hope you enjoy it!

Patron Only Segment: THE FALL OF THE HOUSE OF USHER, Episode 4, "The Black Cat"

5:34 - SKINAMARINK

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We continue our look back at some of the best horror films of 2023 with the latest installment in the legacy Evil Dead franchise, EVIL DEAD RISE. We're joined not only by Quarterly Queen Vera Goudie, but also by first time guest and "nowayjocee" Twitch streamer Jocee Worley to discuss the merits and missteps of this newest entry in the war against those pesky deadites. We cite what's great, what missed its potential, and what might as well be sleeping with the maggots now. We also examine the film's intriguing interest in motherhood, even if it doesn't quite grasp all that it's reaching for.

Also including a Patron-only segment about Episode 3 of Mike Flanagan's THE FALL OF THE HOUSE OF USHER (including some discussion about the original Poe story), this is a hearty and fun conversation we really hope you enjoy.

Patron Only Segment: THE FALL OF THE HOUSE OF USHER, Episode 3, "The Murder in the Rue Morgue"

12:17 - EVIL DEAD RISE

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Among the Capital-C Choices made among films of 2023, perhaps the zaniest of them all was the comedy horror directed by Elizabeth Banks: COCAINE BEAR. As we continue our look back at 2023, we're joined by friend of the show, pastor and author JR Forasteros, to discuss all of the intricate facets of all that is Cocaine Bear.

Seriously, though, we dissect different forms of comedy and why they resonate to some people and not others, we go into the various comedic and horrific scenarios that the film delivers, we debate the qualities of the CGI bear, and even find a few moments to discuss the broader insights the film offers up about what happens to a functional and perfectly natural system when some chaos is dropped into it.

This episode is hearty and soaked in a ton of laughter. It also features a Patron-only segment about episode 2 of Mike Flanagan's THE FALL OF THE HOUSE OF USHER on Netflix. We hope you'll enjoy this episode even half as much as we enjoyed making it.

Patron Only Segment: THE FALL OF THE HOUSE OF USHER, Episode 2: "The Masque of the Red Death"

5:23 - COCAINE BEAR

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Welcome to our first discussion of 2024 Friends and FoGgers! And believe us when we tell you it's a doozy. Demian Rugna's film WHEN EVIL LURKS took festivals and horror fans by storm last year for its unflinchingly bleak examination of the deterioration of an entire community. It features transgressive boundary-pushing, dreadful narrative revelations, and a thoughtful -- but frightening -- approach to the subject of our very limited power.

We're joined on this installment by friends of the show AJ Porfirio and Evan Derrick from Van Ryder Games (creators of the smash hit solo board game Final Girl) and by our very own Gorey Gamer Matt Murray to discuss all the grisly, leaky details on this unforgettable flick. Also featuring a Patron-only segment where we discuss episode one of director Mike Flanagan's latest mini-series: THE FALL OF THE HOUSE OF USHER, accompanied by a brief discussion of Edgar Allan Poe's short story, "The Premature Burial".

It's an episode packed with humor and thoughtful observations that we really hope you enjoy!

Patron Only Segment: THE FALL OF THE HOUSE OF USHER, Episode 1: "A Midnight Dreary"

8:25 - WHEN EVIL LURKS

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Hey everyone! Whether you're finding us for the very first time or have been with us for years, THIS is an episode we want you to hear.

We (Reed Lackey and Nathan Rouse) have been putting this show together for over seven years! A whole lot has changed since then and we wanted to have a fresh conversation (a kind of soft reset, if you will) about who we are, what this show is, and how we each approach this curious intersection of horror and faith. We talk about the show's history to this point, our respective approaches to film and faith, and why it is we do what we do each week.

If you're JUST finding the show, please start here. We promise there's a whole catalog behind us and (hopefully) a whole catalog ahead of us of rich conversations full of humor, thoughtfulness, vulnerability, and curiosity to explore. And if you've been with us until now, consider this your continued invitation to journey with us into the fearful and the faithful, where the fear of God is most certainly NOT the end of the conversation.

Thank you! We hope you enjoy...

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