Well-Adjusted Horror

Johnathon and Levi celebrate the month of October with a special guest, and everyone has opinions about the 2018 not-quite-remake of Suspiria. Levi puts the movie on his October must-watch list, while Johnathon mumbles about the bona fides of Dario Argento's original. Also, everyone has thoughts about women and Joss Whedon. 

What do homeless people do when they're denied social services, charity, and housing? They worship nuclear waste and transform into mutant cannibals. Except for Utah. In Utah they get a place to live. Johnathon and Levi cover every exquisite detail of CHUD, a cult classic.

Johnathon and Levi skip right over their collective jealousy of Kurt Russell's beard to mansplain why great practical effects will always beat CGI. Levi provides a precise measurement of the amount of KY Jelly needed to bring a shape-shifting alien parasite to life. Johnathon wonders whether Norwegians are better with explosives in real life. Finally, both of your hosts take a heavy detour into the debate over free will — while consistently stumbling over the world "cellular."

Shockwaves debuted in the same year as Star Wars: A New Hope. Surprisingly, fewer people stood in line to see it. Shockwaves stars Peter Cushing, David Caradine, and a group of stuntmen who got really, really good at holding their breath. Johnathon and Levi talk bathing suits, the lamentable persistence of fascism, and why the Victrola and the banjo are basically the same thing.

The only thing worse than sleep is not being able to get any. The boys segue from the phenomenon of COVID dreams to Wes Craven's Nightmare on Elm Street. Listen along for a deep dive on Johnny Depp's first major film role, the limitless number of sleep disorders, and what keeps your hosts up at night.

Is the Exorcist III better than the original? Maybe not, but it's still a terrific sequel with stand out performances by George C. Scott and Brad Dourif. 

Johnathon and Levi discuss the lost art of monologuing, whether supernatural evil is de facto proof of supernatural good, and one of the best jump scares in the history of cinema. 

Larry Cohen's 1974 horror film It's Alive is a forgotten (and surprisingly timeless) classic. Levi and Johnathon discuss the film's place in the canon of monster movies, the moral and ethical implications of birthing a monster, whether the philosophy of antinatalism has a leg to stand on, and why you should never mess with Mama Bear.