Welcome to 2025 everyone! We are kicking things off with a couple of big announcements, a few special guests, and an over-sized episode about one of the most fascinating horror films of the last few years: Coralie Fargeat's THE SUBSTANCE. Starring Demi Moore in possibly a career-best performance, The Substance is about an aging fitness starlet who takes an experimental drug to create a younger, "better" version of herself. Things do not go according to plan.

At its heart, The Substance is a bold, exceptionally crafted exploration of cultural stigma around aging and appearance. But along the way, it has some profound observations to make about our relationships with ourselves and the ways our perceptions of our bodies can lead us down dark and destructive paths. We're joined by friends of the show Vera Goudie, Jess Fischli, and Jocee Worley for a vulnerable, thoughtful, and occasionally hilarious discussion about the multitude of fascinating things this film has on its mind.

Also featuring a Patron-only "Whatcha" segment, this is a hearty and heartfelt conversation that we really hope you'll enjoy.

5:24 - A Few Brief Announcements

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

12:41 - THE SUBSTANCE

Find Reed and Tyler's book Valley of the Shadow: The Spiritual Value of Horror here. 

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