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Behind the door of a seemingly normal American home lies something evil. Something that’s been waiting. No, it’s not a demon – it’s a heteronormative relationship with a total douchebag! Join Alex and Andrea for a dive into the murky waters of demonology, tech bros, and home security with Oren Peli’s feature film debut. Join our Patreon community! REQUIRED READING Paranormal Activit y. Dir. Oren Peli, 2007. EXTRA CREDIT The Faculty of Horror: Episode 26. Mother Lover: Matriarchy in The Wicker Ma...
Wes Craven’s first feature continues to draw audiences and critics to it. By examining the production, reception, and impact of The Last House on the Left , Andrea and Alex will investigate the legacy of the rape-revenge subgenre and our evolving understanding of it. *Apologies for the poor audio on this one, guys! We’ll catch that gremlin one day and we’ll skin him alive ! Join our Patreon community! REQUIRED READING The Last House on the Left . Dir. Wes Craven, 1972. EXTRA CREDIT A Promising Y...
This month, we’ve summoned friend of the show (and verified Lynch stan) Stacie Ponder to join us as we wander aimlessly into the surrealist nightmare of David Lynch’s mind. Through an exploration of his first film Eraserhead , we’ll investigate one of cinema’s most enigmatic creatives and his myths of America. Check out Stacie’s podcast: Final Girl After Dark ! Join our Patreon community! REQUIRED READING Eraserhead . Dir. David Lynch, 1977. EXTRA CREDIT Who Made That Built-In Eraser? An overvie...
Another year of mad fackery has come to end, so Andrea and Alex take a last look at 2025 to review our horror (and non-horror) faves of the year. Join our Patreon community! Alex’s picks: Weapons Bring Her Back The Ugly Stepsister Final Destination Bloodlines Companion Good Boy The Occupant of the Room Mangittatuarjuk: The Gnawer of Rocks Andrea’s picks: Bring Her Back Weapons Final Destination Bloodlines Heart Eyes The Ugly Stepsister Dangerous Animals Him LISTEN Right click or option-click her...
Andrea and Alex interrogate the pearl clutching that went on during Silent Night, Deadly Night ‘s initial theatrical run, what it means to cultivate festive cheer, and the importance of being nice and never naughty. Class of 2025 Merch is now available! Thanks to Caleb Milatovic and Rachelle Walker for the incredible design! Join us over on Patreon for more content! REQUIRED READING Silent Night, Deadly Night . Dir. Charles Sellier Jr, 1984. EXTRA CREDIT At the Movies: Silent Night, Deadly Night...
Mind the fog and join Andrea and Alex as they explore the dark hallways of Alejandro Amenábar’s The Others . From geopolitics to religion and the weight of motherhood, not everything in the film is as it appears. Class of 2025 Merch is now available! Thanks to Caleb Milatovic and Rachelle Walker for the incredible design! REQUIRED READING The Others . Dir. Alejandro Amenábar, 2001. EXTRA CREDIT “Nicole Kidman made a horror movie about Tom Cruise and Scientology .” A video exploration of Kidman’s...
It’s almost time kids, the clock is ticking! Andrea and Alex explore the strange world of Halloween III: Season of the Witch, uncovering tricks and treats in the history of holiday, Celtic rituals, and our evolving relationship with our TVs. Class of 2025 Merch is now available! Thanks to Caleb Milatovic and Rachelle Walker for the incredible design! REQUIRED READING Halloween III: Season of the Witch . Dir. Tommy Lee Wallace, 1982. EXTRA CREDIT Halloween III: Season Of The Witch – The Inside St...
In this episode Andrea and Alex delve into the dark side of masculinity with the film adaptations of Apt Pupil and We Need to Talk About Kevin to explore the manosphere, motherhood, and the complexities of anger. Please note: this episode was recorded September 5, 2025. Class of 2025 Merch is now available. Thanks to Caleb Milatovic and Rachelle Walker for the incredible design! REQUIRED READING Apt Pupil . Dir. Bryan Singer, 1998. We Need to Talk About Kevin . Dir. Lynne Ramsay, 2011. EXTRA CRE...
Buckle up and keep your eyes on the road because we’re chatting about the teen slasher thriller I Know What You Did Last Summer . From morality and justice to small town trappings, we unearth a murky past that refuses to stay buried! More content over on our Patreon ! REQUIRED READING I Know What You Did Last Summer . Dir. Jim Gillespie, 1997. EXTRA CREDIT Behavioral Risks during the Transition from High School to College . The NIH report on tendencies and actions during the last summer before a...
Hosts Alex West and Andrea Subissati analyze Wes Craven's 1977 horror film The Hills Have Eyes and its 2006 remake. They compare the films' approaches to themes like family, civilization vs. savagery, and American violence, drawing connections to historical events like the Vietnam War and the War on Terror, mythological influences, and psychological theories like the "killer ape theory."
Join Andrea and Alex live from Salem Horror Fest for feats of strength (!) and a discussion of the horrors of beauty standards, the weight of celebrity culture, and the algorithms that are out to get us. More content over on our Patreon ! REQUIRED READING The Substance . Dir. Coralie Fargeat, 2024. EXTRA CREDIT Careless People: A Cautionary Tale of Power, Greed, and Lost Idealism . Sarah Wynn-Williams account of her time at Facebook. On Women . Susan Sontag’s essays on women and their physical r...
Spring has sprung so it’s time to get into the greenhouse! In this episode, Alex and Andrea investigate the differences between mother and caretaker, the privilege of home upkeep, and why yuppies love windchimes. More content over on our Patreon ! REQUIRED READING The Hand that Rocks the Cradle . Dir. Curtis Hanson, 1992. EXTRA CREDIT The Unnatural History of the Nanny. The NYT’s 1973 exploration of the importance of the role in modern culture. The Lifesaving, Horrifying History of Wet Nurses . ...
Hosts Alex and Andrea discuss the Taiwanese horror film Detention (2019), based on the video game, using its atmospheric setting to explore the history and trauma of Taiwan's White Terror period. They analyze the challenges of adapting the game, the importance of remembering history, and the film's depiction of a controversial teacher-student relationship. The conversation also delves into the role of video games in education and the impact of censorship.
Join us as we delve into the lineage and legacy of Tod Browning’s pre-code horror classic. From the morality police to representation of disability to community building through murder, we discuss why Freaks remains a unique and unrepeatable entry in the horror canon. More content over on our Patreon ! REQUIRED READING Freaks . Dir. Tod Browning, 1932. EXTRA CREDIT Spurs . Tod Robbins short story on which Freaks is based. What’s so Scary about Disability? Laura Elliott’s piece on the legacy of f...
Andrea and Alex run down their favourite horror films from 2024, share what they’re looking forward to this year and go head-to-head in trivia for Fack supremacy. Join our Patreon community! LISTEN Right click or option-click here and choose “Save Target As”
Join us as we breakdown the isolated families of David Cronenberg’s The Brood . From family structures to the legalese of it all, we investigate why and how we cling to each other. Last chance for our Class of 2024 merch ! Artwork by the incredible Candice Purwin . REQUIRED READING The Brood . Dir. David Cronenberg, 1979. EXTRA CREDIT Cronenberg on Cronenberg . A collection of interviews with the man himself on the making and meaning of his films. The Evolution of Pregnancy Portraits From Tudor ...
Christmas came early for the profs this year, with an advance screening to Robert Eggers’ hotly anticipated adaptation of Nosferatu! We recorded our immediate reaction at the cinema for our Patreon, but we wanted to spread the good cheer for the film’s wide release. Hear our raw reactions – but beware spoilers if you don’t want details! Join our Patreon community for more content and exclusive perks! ( Membership makes a great gift, just sayin’ ) Right click or option-click here and choose “Save...
In this episode Andrea and Alex deep-dive into John Carpenter’s cult-classic exploring the ways that materialism, Marxism, and maximalism have driven us to the edge of consumption. Check out our Class of 2024 merch ! Artwork by the incredible Candice Purwin . REQUIRED READING They Live . Dir. John Carpenter, 1988. EXTRA CREDIT “Eight O’Clock in the Morning.” Ray Nelson’s short story that inspired They Live . The Politics of Gender Presentation – Why what we buy to wear matters. The Films of John...
James Wan’s blockbuster horror offering The Conjuring thrilled audiences and created a cinematic universe but for Andrea and Alex it left an icky feeling that has nothing to do with demonic possession. By investigating the politics, means and ideology behind the film, they’ll uncover the true villains behind this narrative. Check out our Class of 2024 merch ! Artwork by the incredible Candice Purwin . REQUIRED READING The Conjuring . Dir. James Wan, 2013. EXTRA CREDIT War Over ‘The Conjuring’: T...
For this very special back-to-school episode, Andrea and Alex are joined by the one and only Stacie Ponder to dig into the depths of Luca Guadagnino’s remake of Dario Argento’s classic. From the dance of politics to the dance of sexuality, there’s more under the floorboards of the Markos Dance Academy than meets the eye. For more Stacie, check out her blog Final Girl , her column Devil’s in the Details in Rue Morgue, and her Twin Peaks recap podcast series with Mike Muncer, The Detective and the...
Pack your bags and leave your conception of the social fabric that binds us behind because we’re going to two private islands in this episode! From the darkness of Dr. Moreau’s experiments to John Hammond’s capitalist enterprise, these journeys into the human desire for control rarely end well for anyone involved. REQUIRED READING Island of Lost Souls . Dir. Erle C. Kenton, 1932. Jurassic Park . Dir Steven Spielberg, 1993. EXTRA CREDIT The Man Who Hated Moms: Looking Back on Philip Wylie’s “Gene...
Pack your bags and your partner because this episode leaves the comforts of civilized society far behind. In this episode we unpack the need for serenity, the heritage of toxic masculinity, and why a bear might actually make a great boyfriend. REQUIRED READING Eden Lake. Dir. James Watkins, 2008. Backcountry . Dir. Adam MacDonald, 2014. EXTRA CREDIT Overall Crime Down 44% Since 1995 . The Guardian article that pushes back against conservative narratives. Gangs and Children . A study on the impet...
Whether you’re ascending or descending, spiritual journeys through the afterlife are never easy. In this episode, Andrea and Alex tackle two films that share some overlapping tendencies but deviate in unexpected ways. REQUIRED READING Angel Heart. Dir. Alan Parker, 1987. Jacob’s Ladder . Dir Adrian Lyne, 1990. EXTRA CREDIT Satanic Feminism : Per Faxneld’s book about the evolution of Lucifer as liberator. The Book of Lilith . An investigation into the persecution and villainization of Adam’s firs...
Coming to you live from Salem Horror Fest , Andrea and Alex prowl the darkest corners of RKO’s cult classic Cat People . From the themes of immigration and assimilation to the parallels of sex and power, we uncover how Jacques Tourneur and Val Lewton’s dark vision of 1940s America remains a prescient warning. REQUIRED READING Cat People . Dir. Jacques Tourneur, 1942. EXTRA CREDIT What history tells us about assimilation of immigrants . The paper published by Stanford University that explains the...
In this episode, Andrea and Alex investigate how multiple characters are perceived and perceive Michael Mann’s entry into the Hannibal Lec(k)tor cinematic universe. From cops to killers and the humanity in between, these cuts go deep. REQUIRED READING Manhunter . Dir. Michael Mann, 1986. EXTRA CREDIT How Thomas Harris defined a genre and created fiction’s most likeable villain . An overview of the Hannibal Lecter saga and what made it unique. The Tabloid that Launched America’s Obsession with Tr...
We’re packing our bags to hop onto our broomsticks for our annual trip to SALEM HORROR FEST 2024 – and you’re invited! Listen in for important info, dates, and highlights! Buy your tickets here! LISTEN Right click or option-click here and choose “Save Target As”...
From the depths of Warner Bros archives, Ken Russell’s infamous film The Devils has been resurrected (ish) once more! Andrea and Alex take this opportunity to dive into the politics, contractions, and naughtiness present within one of the most controversial cult films ever made. REQUIRED READING The Devils . Dir. Ken Russell, 1971. EXTRA CREDIT Ars Erotica . Excerpt from Mario Vargas Llosa book on the influence of spectacle on the West. Society of the Spectacle . Guy Debord’s treatise on perform...
It’s time to look back before we scream forward! Join Andrea and Alex for horror and non-horror faves and a game that will decide their fate for 2024. Alex’s Horror/Horror Adjacent Faves 1. Red Rooms (dir. Pascal Plante) 2. Godzilla Minus One (dir. Takashi Yamazaki) 3. Talk to Me (dir. Danny and Michael Phillippou) 4. The Curse (TV, created by Nathan Fielder and Benny Safdie) 5. Poor Things (dir. Yorgos Lanthimos) 6. Fall of the House of Usher (TV, created by Mike Flanagan) 7. Beau is Afraid (di...
Andrea and Alex delve into the murky depths of Nicolas Roeg’s classic to uncover the film’s themes of mysticism, misogyny and the ethics of mourning. Class of 2023 merch Artwork by @thelastjohnyontheleft REQUIRED READING Don’t Look Now . Dir. Nicolas Roeg, 1973. EXTRA CREDIT Daphne du Maurier’s short story . The Year of Magical Thinking . Joan Didion’s memoir of the year following her husband’s death. Mysticism as a Female Path . Mary Sharratt’s look and the intertwining history of mysticism and...
In this episode Andrea and Alex delve into some truly long-term relationships and their lasting implications. From ageless vampires to hipster gentrification, sometimes loving someone “forever and ever” isn’t as fun as it seems. Class of 2023 merch Artwork by @thelastjohnyontheleft REQUIRED READING The Hunger . Dir. Tony Scott, 1983. Only Lovers Left Alive . Dir. Jim Jarmusch, 2013. EXTRA CREDIT Not All Fangs are Phallic . James Craig Holte’s investigation of the female vampire film. Why hipster...
