Send Us Your Scares!

Episode Summary

Ambrose and Kelly are back for Season 2! After a quick catch-up, the duo dives into the bold, smart, and often nasty era of 2010s horror. They explore why "small" horror films like Green Room and Better Watch Out hit so much harder than big-budget blockbusters before performing a deep-dive autopsy on the 2016 cult favorite, The Autopsy of Jane Doe.

From the clinical tension of the Virginia morgue to the haunting significance of a "Ray of Sunshine," the hosts break down every stage of this ritualistic nightmare. They also reveal the incredible practical effects and the intense physical performance required to bring Jane Doe to life.

Warning: This episode contains full spoilers for The Autopsy of Jane Doe.

Key Discussion Points

• The 2010s Horror Renaissance: Why this decade moved away from "safe" horror to embrace smart, mean, and high-stress storytelling.
• Atmospheric Dread: How The Autopsy of Jane Doe uses a single location and a minimalist cast to create maximum claustrophobia.
• The Tilden Family Dynamic: Analyzing the relationship between father and son coroners, Tommy (Brian Cox) and Austin (Emile Hirsch).
• The Practicality of Horror: A look at the film's "grossly realistic" practical effects and the remarkable performance of Olwen Kelly as the titular corpse.
• The Symbolism of "Ray": How Tommy’s personal guilt over his late wife's death is mirrored in the autopsy of the mysterious Jane Doe.
• The Final Verdict: Do the hosts think this film is a masterpiece or a misfire? (Hint: Grab your coffins).

Featured Films

• The Autopsy of Jane Doe (2016) (Main Feature)
• Green Room (2015)
• Better Watch Out (2016)

Notable Quotes

"The 2010s was the decade where horror got bold again. It wasn’t just one flavor—you had movies that were smart, nasty, funny, and mean." — Ambrose

"Every step they take in the autopsy just opens another problem. The body becomes this puzzle that keeps getting worse the more you solve it." — Kelly

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Send Us Your Scares!

⚠️ LIMITED TIME FREE PREVIEW! ⚠️

Welcome to the debut of the Scream Queens Horror News Show! We are unlocking Episode 1 for everyone to give you a taste of what’s behind the velvet curtain.

Love what you hear? The VIP Pass is your ticket to the inner circle. For just $4 a month, you get:

• Ad-Free Episodes: No interruptions, just pure horror.
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• Private Discord Channel: Join Kelly, Jessica, and the rest of the community to discuss the latest news in real-time.

Welcome to the very first episode of the Scream Queens Horror News Show! Join your hosts, Kelly and Jessica, as they take a deep dive into the 2026 horror landscape. From A24’s most unsettling new teasers to the return of Pennywise and Jason Voorhees, we are covering the news that keeps you up at night.

In This Episode:

Trailer & Poster Highlights

• Mother Mary (A24): We break down the teaser for this "transgressive dive" into the cult of celebrity. Is stardom the ultimate monster?
• Primal: Get ready for Johannes Roberts’ "killer chimp" movie. We discuss the D-BOX theatrical experience coming January 9th.
• The Strangers: Chapter 3: Renny Harlin’s trilogy concludes on February 6th. We analyze the new "Embrace Your Fears" poster.
• Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Shark: "Sharkopine" is real. Prepare for this digital release later this month.

Production & Industry Updates

• Welcome to Derry (Max): Miles Eckhart joins us (via news updates) to discuss filming Season 2, jumping back to the 1935 Bradley Gang Massacre.
• Crystal Lake (A24): Huge news for the Friday the 13th prequel—we're officially getting a teenage Jason Voorhees.
• Box Office: Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 hits a massive $200M milestone.

The 2026 Horror Watchlist

• The Long Walk: Stephen King’s dystopian nightmare hits screens January 10th.
• Cold Storage: Joe Keery vs. parasitic fungus? Sign us up for this February release.
• New Fear’s Eve: The holiday slasher you didn't know you needed.
• Giallo-uary: Arrow Video brings us restored classics like Deep Red and Blood and Black Lace.
• Indie Picks: Quick hits on The Plague, South Korea's Noid, and Norway's The Ugly Stepsister.

Merch Check

• NECA Reveal: We take a first look at the Santa Ghostface figure—the perfect blend of holiday cheer and 90s nostalgia.

Notable Quote

"If you aren’t feeling that deep sense of unease, then they aren’t doing it right." — Kelly

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Send Us Your Scares!

Grab your parkas and check the phone lines—we’re heading back to Colorado, but the rules have changed. This week, Ambrose and Kelly dive deep into the snow-covered hellscape of Black Phone 2.

The sequel takes a massive swing, pivoting from the claustrophobic basement thriller of the original to an 80s-inspired "supernatural siege." We break down Ethan Hawke’s spectral return as the Grabber, the fascinating technical "visual map" used to separate dreams from reality, and why the horror community is so divided over the film’s "no kill" paradox. Is it a worthy evolution of Finney and Gwen’s story, or did the 80s slang dial it up a bit too far?

Warning: This episode contains full spoilers for Black Phone 2.

In This Episode, We Discuss:

• The Genre Pivot: How the franchise moved from a grounded thriller to a "Supernatural Siege" set at Camp Alpine Lake.

• The Ninth Circle of Hell: Exploring the Dante’s Inferno connection and why the Grabber’s new "frozen lake" domain is more than just a cool visual.

• Technical Deep Dive: Why the filmmakers used pristine 8.6K Sony Venice 2 digital cameras for the real world versus gritty, "reckless" Super 8 and Super 16 film for the dream sequences.

• The Dream Warrior Evolution: Gwen’s transition from fragmented visions to active combat, and Finney’s heartbreaking struggle with trauma-induced dissociation.

• The Ice-Skating Grabber: Breaking down that audacious (and terrifying) homage to 1983’s Curtains.

• The Controversy: Is the "spectral" Grabber too "polite"? We tackle the fan debate regarding the lack of a present-day body count.

• The Verdict: We head into the Critic’s Crypt to give our official rating in coffins.

QUESTION FOR YOU

Did the sequel’s “frozen-hell ghost” vibe work for you, or did the mythology homework take you out of it?

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Send Us Your Scares!

This week on The THING about Films, we go headfirst into the suburban chaos of Weapons, the sprawling follow-up that basically dares you to think you’ve got it figured out… and then pulls the floor out from under you.

We break down the “Trojan horse” marketing and why the trailers were built to mislead, the insane scale behind the movie (including the reported bidding war, budget, and final-cut deal), and the cleanest horror hook imaginable: seventeen kids from one third-grade class vanishing at exactly 2:17 a.m. 

Then we dig into the movie’s craft and big swings: “melancholy sunshine” visuals, sound design that’s basically an audio jump scare with a long fuse, the layered meanings behind 2:17, and the ritual rules that make the ending hit as hard as it does. 

Full spoilers for Weapons, including the ending. So if you haven’t seen the movie yet. Go watch it and then come back to hear our take on the movie.

What we cover

• Why the rollout was intentionally deceptive (and how it worked) pasted
  
  
• The scope: New Line vs. Universal, the reported ~$38M budget, final cut, and theatrical guarantee pasted
  
  
• The hook: Maybrook, PA and the 2:17 a.m. vanishing pasted
  
  
• The 2:17 rabbit hole: classroom math, Shining nods, and the Matthew 2:17 grief read pasted
  
  
• Performances and characters (Justine, Archer, James, and Gladys) + why the town turns on the wrong “monster” pasted
  
  
• Cinematography: “melancholy sunshine,” plus the film-stock/processing choices that drain the warmth out of daylight pasted
  
  
• Sound design: the “quiet” that isn’t quiet and the infamous “whale from hell” texture fileciteturn1file2L3-L4pasted
  
  
• The ritual mechanics: the simple, brutal rules of the spell (and how they set up Gladys’s downfall) pasted
  
  
• The ending debate: what almost made it into the director’s cut vs. what audiences got pasted
• The Trevor Moore tributes (including the “seven hot dogs” moment) pasted

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Send Us Your Scares!

What if “welcome to the family” really meant “run for your life before dawn”?

In this episode of The THING about Films, Ambrose and Kelly dive headfirst into Ready or Not (2019), the bloody, chaotic wedding-night nightmare where in-laws, inheritance, and a literal deal with the devil all collide.

They break down how this horror-comedy walks the razor’s edge between genuine terror and pitch-black humor, why the Le Domas gaming dynasty is the perfect “eat the rich” family, and how a single cursed game of Hide and Seek turns into a full-blown satanic survival ritual.

You’ll hear them dig into:

• The Le Bail bargain, that sinister pact behind the family’s obscene wealth
• Why Hide and Seek is the one game that turns the wedding into a hunt
• How Radio Silence reshaped the script into a one-night survival thriller
• The Toronto mansion locations that double as the Le Domas estate (and the X-Mansion!)
• The iconic “Swiss Army Dress” and how 24 versions track Grace’s evolution
• Samara Weaving’s scrappy final girl performance and Andie MacDowell’s brutal turn as Becky
• The incompetent rich, disposable staff, and the film’s savage class satire
• Daniel’s tragic almost-redemption, Charity’s cold choice, and Alex’s selfish descent
• That explosive finale, Grace’s perfect “I want a divorce” moment, and why this ending is so insanely satisfying

Spoilers are everywhere, so if you haven’t seen Ready or Not, consider this your final warning before we light the candles and draw a card.

Stick around to the end as we head down into The Critic’s Crypt to pick apart the legacy, themes, and why this film earns its place as a modern “eat the rich” classic.

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In this episode, Ambrose and Kelly astral project straight into Insidious (2011) and break down how James Wan and Leigh Whannell reinvented the modern jump scare with almost no gore and a tiny budget. They dig into the “quiet creative desperation” that pushed the Saw duo back to their indie roots and turned a low-budget ghost story into a box office monster.

You’ll hear how Insidious pulled in nearly 100 million on a shoestring, why that 66.6x budget ratio is horror-movie perfect, and how “The Further” flips the haunted house trope into something way more personal and psychological. The hosts unpack the Lipstick-Face Demon, the Bride in Black, puppet imagery, red doors, and all the sneaky background scares hiding in plain sight.

From Giallo-inspired color and inverted camera shots to Joseph Bishara’s atonal “rusted piano” score and the no-fake-jump-scares rule, Ambrose and Kelly show how every technical choice is designed to mess with your nerves. Then it is down into the Critic’s Crypt for final ratings, a debate over whether the demon is terrifying or just over-contoured, and a sprint away from a mysteriously opening red door.

In this episode:

• Escaping the shadow of Saw and returning to low-budget control
• How Insidious redefined PG-13 jump scares without relying on gore
• The mythology of The Further, astral projection, and generational curses
• Lipstick-Face Demon, the Bride in Black, and all those creepy puppets
• Giallo colors, red doors, and Wan’s love of inverted, spiraling shots
• Joseph Bishara’s atonal score, rusted piano sound design, and “no fake jump scares” rule
• Cast, crew, kid-actor horror stories, and on-set Easter eggs
• Franchise legacy, Parker Crane, and how the sequels turn terror into generational healing
• Critic’s Crypt ratings: Ambrose 4.5 / 5 coffins, Kelly 4 / 5 coffins

Call to action:

If you enjoyed this deep dive into Insidious, follow the show, leave a rating or review, and share this episode with the friend who still can’t hear “Tiptoe Through the Tulips” without checking the corners of the room.

Have a horror movie you want us to tackle next or a hot take on the Lipstick-Face Demon? Check the show notes for our links and send us your picks and theories.

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Send Us Your Scares!

Don’t touch that light switch—you’re going to want to see what’s hiding in the corners for this one.

In this episode, Ambrose and Kelly blur the lines between spiritual terror and psychiatric reality. We are diving deep into the heartbreaking and terrifying true story of Anneliese Michel, the young German woman whose tragic death inspired The Exorcism of Emily Rose. Was it a battle for her soul against six demons, or a failure of the medical and religious systems surrounding her?

We also pull back the curtain on Hollywood to explore the physical toll of "immersive acting" and the legendary "cursed sets" of horror history—from the fires of The Exorcist to the tragic deaths surrounding Poltergeist.

Plus, we get technical with the science of sound, explaining how the "Kuleshov Effect" manipulates your fear and how the ENF Criterion is used to authenticate audio recordings.

In this episode, we cover:

• The Real Emily Rose: The life, suffering, and recorded exorcisms of Anneliese Michel.
• Hollywood vs. Reality: Comparing the legal thriller The Exorcism of Emily Rose (2005) with the gritty German drama Requiem (2006).
• Method Acting or Madness? How Jennifer Carpenter’s body-warping performance blurred the lines of reality.
• Cursed Cinema: The eerie deaths and accidents on the sets of The Omen, The Exorcist, and Poltergeist.
• Forensics of Fear: Analyzing the "Anneliese Michel Tapes" and how audio experts prove a recording is real using the electrical grid's hum.
• The Critic’s Crypt: Ambrose and Kelly head down to the basement (mistake!) to rate The Exorcism of Emily Rose.

So, grab your holy water and your headphones—it’s time to confront the cost of belief.

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Send Us Your Scares!

What happens when a bunch of broke Michigan kids decide they’d rather summon Deadites than get normal jobs? Ambrose and Kelly hike back to the cabin to dig into The Evil Dead and the beautiful chaos behind it.

They walk through how Sam Raimi, Bruce Campbell, and friends went from backyard Super 8 shorts to a miserable winter shoot in Tennessee, sleeping on floors and inventing Fake Shemps, Shaky Cams, and sticky DIY gore just to get this thing finished.

Then they break down why the film still works as pure dread energy. Plus the five emotional states of horror, Ash’s total mental collapse, one infamous scene that still divides fans, and how an X rating, Video Nasty panic, and a Stephen King rave turned it into a cult legend.

In this episode, we…

• Trace the scrappy origin story of The Evil Dead.
• Geek out over blood recipes, cracked lenses, and painful makeup.
• Map Dread, Terror, Horror, Shock, and Disgust onto key moments.
• Compare the original to Evil Dead 2, Army of Darkness, and the 2013 remake, then hand out Coffin ratings.

Listen now and follow The THING about Films wherever you get your podcasts.

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Send Us Your Scares!

Charge your flashlight, lock the basement door, and welcome back to The THING About Films.

This week, Ambrose and Kelly are calling on The Conjuring (2013) and asking the big questions:
How did a “little” haunted house movie turn into a horror empire? Where does the real Perron family story end and the Hollywood version begin? And what happens when your “based on a true story” comes with real people, real trauma, and a very real old farmhouse that will not stay quiet?

They break down why this movie still creeps people out, what makes the Warrens such compelling on-screen guides, and why smart, slow-burn scares hit harder than buckets of gore. Then they pull back the curtain on the true story that inspired it all and talk about the messy, uncomfortable stuff the movie leaves in the dark.

If you’ve ever watched The Conjuring and thought, “Okay, but how much of this actually happened?” this episode is your rabbit hole.

Hit play, keep your feet off the floor, and remember: just because it says “true story” on the poster doesn’t mean the real horror made it to the screen.

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Send Us Your Scares!

This week we crack open It Follows, the modern slow-burn nightmare that turned a simple idea into pure anxiety. We dig into the real childhood dream that sparked the story, why the world of the film feels “out of time,” how the camera work makes you paranoid on purpose, and how Disasterpeace built that pulse-raising score in a wild three-week sprint. We also talk box office glow-up, the pool finale, and where things stand with the sequel, They Follow.

What we cover

• The original nightmare that inspired the “it just walks” concept
• Why the movie’s mix of decades (’60s houses, ’80s fits, fake e-reader) keeps your brain on edge
• Deep-focus shots, slow 360 pans, and how the camera turns you into the lookout
• Disasterpeace’s synth score: influences, the rush to Cannes, and why the music is “too loud” on purpose
• Michigan locations, the “border” of Eight Mile, and that perfect abandoned house layout
• Maika Monroe’s performance and the cast choices that made the entity feel personal
• Themes: inevitability, guilt, and dread that doesn’t care what year it is
• The finale’s “DIY” plan, the dad reveal, and why the ambiguity sticks
• Sequel check-in: They Follow updates and what “ten years later” could mean

Critic’s Crypt Ratings

• Ambrose: 4 out of 5 Coffins
• Kelly: 3.5 out of 5 Coffins

Spoilers
Yep, we discuss plot details, the pool scene, and the final shot.

Content warnings
Stalking, sexual implications, brief nudity, violence, anxiety themes.

Segment guide (no timestamps)
Cold open banter • What the curse is and why it works • Production design and that timeless vibe • Cinematography that makes you scan the frame • Disasterpeace’s score story • Detroit/Michigan locations • Cast notes and character beats • Finale breakdown • Sequel talk • Critic’s Crypt verdicts & sign-off

Grab-bag trivia

• The tall hallway scare was played by 7'7" Detroiter Mike Lanier.
• Yara reading The Idiot ties the movie to the fear of inevitable fate.
• That pink “seashell” e-reader was built for the film so nothing would date the story.

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