To close out the season, an honest-to-goodness, true vampire horror movie: 30 Days of Night. Cleverly set far in the Northern Hemisphere where a small town is plunged into continuous darkness, 30 Days is actually frightening! No sparkly vamps here, just monsters ready to devour a weak and scared populace. Listen to the NQD gals relish in some true horror in this episode. Episode edited by Megan Prior-Pfeifer. Music by Zach Pfeifer.
Slap on your Hot Topic choker and zip up those combat boots - we're going to the Underworld! Len Wiseman's 2003 Underworld hit all of the goth fantasy movie notes: vampires vs lycans, pleather aplenty, and a moody, kind of weird romance plot. Everyone is wet, everyone is in a corset, and the NQD gals are just wondering where the heck this movie takes place.
These aren't your average teen rebels! They also eat people! Set in idyllic, fictional Santa Carla, California, The Lost Boys wrap beach town vibes, a boyhood coming-of-age story, and 80s culture with the spooky veil of vampirism. In this episode, we discuss Joel Schumacher's fun career, the conflicting vampire lore posited, and, of course, the Frog Brothers. Episode edited by Megan Prior-Pfeifer. Music by Zach Pfeifer ....
Leaning into multiple genres - superhero, horror, and action - Blade (1998) was a revolutionary counterpoint to other caped crusader fare of the decade. You won't find blood soaked raves in a Batman movie, at the very least. Listen in as the NQD gals discuss the intersection of monsters and superheroes and the leather obsession of the late 90s.
One Dracula movie, ah ah ah. Two Dracula movies! Ah ah ah. THREE, three Dracula movies, ah ah ah! This mega episode covers three adaptations of the Dracula novel: Nosferatu, Count Dracula, and Bram Stoker's Dracula. All with varying degrees of fidelity to the book (and acting quality), the Not Quite Dead gals cover the highs and the lowest of lows in these movies (looking at you, Keanu's British accent). Tell us what your favorite version of Dracula is on the blog or on socials! Episode edited b...
Starring the 90s superstars of Anne Rice's nightmares, Interview with the Vampire was the blueprint for many gothic vampire fantasies. The Not Quite Dead gals are back for a new season talking about everyone's favorite undead aristocratic monsters. Put on your frilliest shirt and enjoy the first episode of our Vampire season!
Do you feel like your Christmas movies aren't bizarre enough? Your live action movie is missing the charm of animated sequences? Do you want to see a crew of gingerbread demons attempt to kill a child? Well, you're in the right place! Krampus, the remarkably well-rated Christmas horror comedy, stars some of our all-time faves: Toni Collette, Adam Scott, and David Koechner. It features the eponymous Austro-Bavarian folklore monster that punishes naughty children, plus its gang of demented Christm...
A sorority Christmas horror story with multi-dimensional female characters and delightful montages of ultra-violence make the Black Christmas (2019) remake a fun, festive movie. Riley and her closest sorority sisters are staying at Hawthorne College over winter break, but their seasonal cheer is threatened as girls start disappearing. Listen in to this very special episode and get in the Christmas slasher spirit.
Don't get them wet, don't expose them to sunlight, and don't feed them from 12:00AM to 5:47AM - wait no, just don't feed them after midnight. If only it were more specific! Did you also forget this was a Christmas movie? Well, strap in, because the tale of lovable scamps turned murderous gremlins is also a holiday treat. Episode edited by Cate Smith. Music by Zach Pfeifer .
Scary Christmas! For this seasonal special, we're covering your favorite movie from the 6th grade - The Nightmare Before Christmas! "But that's not a horror movie!" you cry in despair. And to that we say, how many Christmas movies involve the kidnap and torture of Sandy...ahem...Santa Claus? Get festive with us as only Not Quite Dead can! Episode edited by Megan Prior-Pfeifer. Music by Zach Pfeifer.
We're wrapping up the season with a few of our favorite things: ranking items judgmentally, crafting, and celebrating friendship. Thanks for listening and share your favorite rituals with us! Episode edited by Megan Prior-Pfeifer and Cate Smith. Music by Zach Pfeifer.
That board game you played during high school sleepovers gets a movie made about it! As thrilling as a Dream Phone movie would be, this movie is (un)fortunately about Ouija boards. Feeling more like a vehicle to sell more board games at Target than putting together a plot-driven movie at times, Ouija attempts to tell the story of a girl investigating the mysterious death of her best friend. With plot elements of a board that can't be destroyed, inconsistent ghostly abilities, and unconvincing ad...
A guys' trip wrought with anger, grief, tension, and a shortcut through a dense Swedish forest. Sounds like a blast to us! The Ritual (2017), directed by David Bruckner, explores the dynamics of male friendship in the wake of their friend's murder against the backdrop of a remote hiking trip. The men are pursued by what seems to be a creature in the forest, but also by their own shame and guilt. This movie is a visual treat with an ending that gives us plenty to talk about. Get into it! Ed...
In-laws, am I right? Ready or Not (2019) is the most contemporary movie of Season 6, and it is a raucous ride of real scares and real laughs. Directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett helmed the original concept of newlywed Grace who is unwittingly forced into a family ritual on her wedding night. The Not Quite Dead gals discuss family traditions, board games, and the institution of marriage in this episode. Edited by Megan Prior-Pfeifer. Music by Zach Pfeifer ....
The darkness of Rosemary's Baby comes from within and without. Unfavorably associated with director Roman Polanski, Rosemary's Baby is now often viewed through the modern lens of the post #metoo movement era. But! It is a horror movie, and one of the all-time greats. We give credit where it is due to the stellar performance of Mia Farrow and get into the controversial gray area of problematic artists. Edited by Megan Prior-Pfeifer. Music by Zach Pfeifer ....
The House of the Devil has all of the late 70s to early 80s horror trappings an audience could desire: pizza delivery gone awry, a teen girl babysitting in a rural old house, and a spooky title card declaring the film is "based on true events." The Not Quite Dead gals discuss how convincing this film is, considering it was released in 2009. Intended as an homage to satanic panic and slasher films of a bygone era, The House of the Devil is a slow burn...or maybe just a bit slow. Tune in! Edited b...
So iconic that it has transitioned to parody and back again, we are covering The Exorcist (1973). Loosely based on real events, The Exorcist introduced a generation to the head spinning, vomit- and curse-spewing Linda Blair and the concept of needing a young AND an old priest. The OG of satanic panic movies has a veritable wealth of things to talk about, and boy-how do the Not Quite Dead gals talk! Edited by Megan Prior-Pfeifer. Music by Zach Pfeifer ....
Not Quite Dead is kicking off Season 6: Rituals with a double feature of everyone's favorite dance horror classic and its remake: Suspiria! The 1977 Dario Argento film is acclaimed for its iconic style, while Luca Guadagnino's 2018 remake is polarizing (as most remakes are). Get into this spooky season as we discuss all of the satanic and pagan tropes and debate which occult rituals are more effective than others. Edited by Cate Smith. Music by Zach Pfeifer ....
The Purge series has always asked its audience to suspend its disbelief. The greatest instance of this is trusting that homicidal purgers respect that come the 7AM purge-ending sirens, all crime is illegal again. The Forever Purge is the next logical step in this franchise, because of course a contingent of these masked maniacs will want to keep purging! It's the American way! Special guest Brett Lee from Tabletop Titans and Hobby Titans joins us to discuss the many merits and demerits of the la...
There were laughs, there was bloodshed, there was an animated crass little doll AND his gross offspring. This season was a rollercoaster of the highest of cinematic highs and the lowest of lows, both of which involved Jennifer Tilly. Read our blog for episode extras, including photos of the Not Quite Dead girls' very own voodoo dolls! Edited by Megan Prior-Pfeifer and Cate Smith. Music by Zach Pfeifer ....
Everyone loves a remake! Or wait, no. Remakes are a highly divisive topic for many fandoms, the Child's Play one included. In this 2019 film by Lars Klevberg, Child's Play gets an update for the modern, smart home era. Gone are the voodoo rituals and serial killer soul transfers, hello Aubrey Plaza and Buddi doll. Listen in and tell us if you think this is a worthy addition to the mythos of Chuck. Edited by Megan Prior-Pfeifer. Music by Zach Pfeifer ....
With a psychiatric hospital setting and the promise of a multitude of Chucky dolls murderously scampering around, you would think Cult of Chucky would be a strong entry to the series. Listen in on this short episode as the Not Quite Dead gals explain why this one is very skippable. From plot holes to a thin script, the cult is not nearly as scary nor funny as audiences would hope. There's still fun to be had, though, so join in for a recap and our seasonal segments! Edited by Cate Smith. Music b...
The first straight to DVD entry in the Child's Play franchise...Curse of Chucky! Bringing back Brad Dourif and his daughter Fiona in the leading roles of Chucky and Nica Pierce, director Don Mancini leans into the horror part of this horror comedy. Listen in as the gals dig into the movie that attempts to redeem the franchise after the less-than-stellar Seed of Chucky. Edited by Cate Smith. Music by Zach Pfeifer ....
Woof! Seed of Chucky, the anticipated follow-up to Bride of Chucky, is a marked low point in the Child's Play franchise. In this Chuck's Notes minisode, the Not Quite Dead girls go over the few plot highs and many plot lows to keep you up to speed on the series. Edited by Cate Smith. Music by Zach Pfeifer .
Here comes the bride…from hell! Chucky gets lucky when his girlfriend Tiffany Valentine – portrayed by the iconic Jennifer Tilly – becomes his hot doll companion. Bride of Chucky breathes life into the flagging franchise. Listen in with the gals as this horror comedy strikes just the right balance of slashing and fun. Edited by Megan Prior-Pfeifer. Music by Zach Pfeifer .
In Season 5, check out the Chuck's Notes minisodes, covering the, erm, more skippable Child's Play series movies. Listen to this short episode to find out what you need to know - and why, exactly, this movie is not worth a rewatch - before the next franchise entry, Bride of Chucky.
The fun just doesn't stop in Child's Play 2! Director John Lafia helms this sequel that sees child Andy Barclay shuttled into a foster home with the killer doll Chucky close on his heels. This episode is chock full of quippy one-liners and doll-gore, plus we continue our new segments of Catchphrases and Cate's Predictions! Edited by Cate Smith. Music by Zach Pfeifer .
SPOILER ALERT! Presenting a special episode of the latest entry in the Saw franchise: Spiral! With Darren Bousman, James Wan, and Leigh Whannel back at the helm, the 9th installment of the series sees Chris Rock grapple with a new Jigsaw copycat killer. The gals see and review Spiral during its opening weekend and get very much into the details, so watch it first before listening! Edited by Megan Prior-Pfeifer. Music by Zach Pfeifer ....
In the Season 5 premiere episode, the gals start the Child’s Play franchise off – a series that Megan loves and Cate has never seen! This classic campy slasher series introduces Chucky to the world, played by the legendary Brad Dourif. This first movie has it all: a haunted doll, defenestration, Haitian voodoo, cursing at children…it’s an 80s dream. Edited by Megan Prior-Pfeifer. Music by Zach Pfeifer ....
Join us as we celebrate the galactic greatness of our Space Horror season! From a space-themed baking challenge to picking this season's overall MVP film, Megan and Cate reminisce on the best and worst films that straddle the genre lines. Listen in and thanks for listening to Season 4!
