It's the season finale of Rogues Gallery , and our final investigation of the year leads us into the eerily empty halls of Hillcrest Academy for a look back at Halloween H20: 20 Years Later . What began as a modest direct-to-video sequel was reborn as a prestige anniversary event, bringing Jamie Lee Curtis back for one last confrontation with the Shape... or so we thought. We dig into how a late-stage rewrite and a scrapped subplot shaped this sleek, surprisingly brisk entry, and whether the glo...
Oct 15, 2025•2 hr 12 min
It's Fall Verhoeven on Rogues Gallery! Our retrospective of Paul Verhoeven's work is winding down, and we're capping it off with a trip to Mars in his 1990 action/sci-fi fever dream Total Recall . Join us as we dig into the chaotic production history, break down the wild practical effects, and debate whether or not this is all real or just an implanted fantasy. Get ready for some open-your-mind weirdness because we've got a lot of thoughts about this one. Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Facebook | In...
Oct 01, 2025•1 hr 52 min
A young couple sets out to capture proof of the strange disturbances in their suburban home, but what begins as an experiment in home video quickly spirals into a relentless descent into fear. With its no-frills found-footage style and chillingly simple premise, Paranormal Activity turned a $15,000 indie project into a box office phenomenon and reignited a wave of supernatural horror. On this episode, we dig into the indie sensation that terrified audiences, examine how it reshaped the horror la...
Sep 17, 2025•1 hr 30 min
Lisbeth Salander had already become an international icon before David Fincher brought her to Hollywood with his visceral and uncompromising retelling of The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo , but is this the definitive interpretation of this character and story? That's what we're digging into this week. So join us as we discuss Fincher's exacting craft, Rooney Mara's transformation, the major differences between this and the previous adaptation, the sequels that never materialized, the enduring pop ...
Sep 03, 2025•2 hr 6 min
This week, we're diving into one of the weirdest invasions ever committed to celluloid: Killer Klowns from Outer Space . When a group of extraterrestrial circus clowns land in a small town, they don't come in peace... unless "peace" involves cotton candy cocoons, shadow puppet executions, and balloon animal bloodhounds. Topics include: how the Chiodo Brothers' low-budget labor of love turned into a cult phenomenon, why the clown aesthetic is so effective (and so unsettling), and how this movie m...
Aug 20, 2025•1 hr 47 min
We want to play a game. That's right, it's time to investigate 2004's Saw - the low-budget sleeper hit that became a phenomenon and kicked off one of the most lucrative horror franchises of the last two decades. But this original entry has some key differences from the majority of its sequels, so join us as we unpack the film we remember this being vs. what it actually is. Topics include: the short film that was sent out with copies of the script, the unusual course of events that led to Danny G...
Aug 06, 2025•1 hr 41 min
"Deepest. Bluest. My hat is like a shark's fin." - Henry David Thoreau This week, we're visiting the Aquatica Research Facility and submerging ourselves in the 1999 sci-fi/action/thriller Deep Blue Sea. Originally conceived as Jurassic Park meets Jaws , the filmmakers ultimately decided to take a page from Alien's playbook instead. Join us as we discuss the pros and cons of that approach, compare the finished film with earlier iterations of the script, go over our favorite characters and set pie...
Jul 23, 2025•1 hr 48 min
"Sometimes The Pink Opaque feels more real than real life." On this episode, we're traversing The Midnight Realm and opening up a case file on Mr. Melancholy from I Saw The TV Glow . Topics include: writer/director Jane Schoenbrun's inspiration for the story, our own personal connections to the media that this is influenced by, how authentically this captures the miasma of 1990s suburbia, the way our feelings about the movie evolved after subsequent viewings, interpretations of the ending, the i...
Jul 09, 2025•2 hr 27 min
This week, we're headed to the quiet town of Canaima, where a deadly infestation is crawling just beneath the surface. We're breaking down Arachnophobia , the Spielberg-produced "thrill-omedy" that gave audiences a reason to check their shoes before putting them on. Topics include: the more straightforward tone of the original script, how the finished film aims to balance those genuine scares with campy charm, our favorite characters and moments, the complex logistics behind wrangling hundreds o...
Jun 25, 2025•1 hr 32 min
This week, we're strapping into our Gyrospheres and heading back to Isla Nublar to unlock the secrets of 2015's Jurassic World . After spending over a decade exploring (and ultimately rejecting) various story ideas, Steven Spielberg finally hit upon a concept for the long-awaited fourth film in his blockbuster franchise... Open the park. But even with those guardrails in place, this installment went through a wild ride to get to the big screen. On this episode, we're digging into all the behind-...
Jun 11, 2025•2 hr 41 min
This week, we're revisiting the infamous fifth installment of the Friday the 13th franchise: A New Beginning ! The film that dared to continue Jason Voorhees' legacy without the man himself. Set five years after the events of The Final Chapter , this entry follows a troubled Tommy Jarvis as he grapples with trauma and a new wave of murders at a halfway house for troubled teens. While the hockey mask returns, the man behind it is not who you'd expect, leading to one of the series' most controvers...
May 14, 2025•1 hr 37 min
This week, we're venturing deep into the Amazon to confront one of cinema's most infamous serpents: the titular terror of 1997's Anaconda . When a documentary crew sets out to capture the elusive Shirishamas tribe on film, they instead find themselves ensnared in the coils of a maniacal hunter's obsession... and the literal coils of a giant, man-eating snake. Topics include: the filmmakers' original intention to make something similar in tone to Jaws , Jon Voight's campy yet compelling performan...
Apr 30, 2025•1 hr 32 min
GoldenEye marked the beginning of a new era for the James Bond franchise, introducing Pierce Brosnan as 007 in a post-Cold War world grappling with shifting geopolitics and evolving cultural expectations. And instead of running from those inescapable truths, the producers decided to confront them head-on. The result? One of the most beloved entries in the entire saga. Join us as we discuss the original plans for Timothy Dalton's third outing, other contenders for the lead role before Brosnan was...
Apr 16, 2025•2 hr 16 min
This week, we're investigating The Entity from It Follows and discussing what makes this atmospheric horror/mystery so effective. Topics include: the recurring nightmare that inspired the film, the anachronistic production design and how it adds to the overall dreamlike feel, the incredible score by Diasterpeace, a few differences between the script and the final cut, all the different interpretations of what this is actually about, the divisive ending, the upcoming sequel, and much more! Apple ...
Apr 02, 2025•1 hr 39 min
In this episode, we delve into the 2022 sci-fi horror film M3GAN , directed by Gerard Johnstone. The story centers on Gemma, a robotics engineer who becomes the guardian of her orphaned niece, Cady. To help Cady cope with her loss, Gemma introduces her to M3GAN (Model 3 Generative Android), an AI-driven doll designed to be the perfect companion. However, M3GAN's advanced learning capabilities lead her to develop self-awareness, resulting in unexpected and deadly consequences. We'll explore the...
Mar 19, 2025•1 hr 45 min
Since this podcast's inception, Anton Chigurh has been one of our most requested rogues. This week, we're playing a game of chance with this formidable foe as we finally dive deep into No Country for Old Men . Topics include: the origins of Cormac McCarthy's novel, the Coens process of adapting it, key differences between Chigurh's portrayal in the book vs the movie, reactions to the subversive final act, what the movie leaves out, the ways in which it might actually one-up the source material, ...
Mar 05, 2025•2 hr 19 min
We're back! Rogues Gallery is kicking off a brand new season with a deep dive into M. Night Shyamalan's Unbreakable . It's hard to imagine a time when an Oscar-nominated filmmaker endeavoring to make a grounded and gritty superhero film would have been regarded as a risky proposition. But back in 2000, that's exactly the situation Shyamalan found himself in. These days, you can't throw a rock without hitting half a dozen comic book movies with a similar tone, but Unbreakable was pretty ahead of ...
Feb 12, 2025•1 hr 54 min
"We're headed for a disaster of biblical proportions... Old Testament, real wrath of God-type stuff. Fire and brimstone coming down from the skies! Rivers and seas boiling! Forty years of darkness! Earthquakes, volcanoes, the dead rising from the grave! Human sacrifice, dogs and cats living together... mass hysteria!" Whoa whoa whoa, RELAX. It's only our season finale. ROGUES GALLERY WILL RETURN WITH NEW EPISODES ON FEBRUARY 12th.But in the meantime, let's strap on our proton packs and go out wi...
Nov 13, 2024•2 hr 36 min
The sequel so nice they filmed it twice! The Halloween franchise is no stranger to troubled productions, but part six takes the cake... then decides it doesn't like the flavor of that cake and tries to bake an all-new one on top of it. Meanwhile, some of the producers are wondering why it has to be a cake at all and so they decide to turn it into a casserole instead. So yeah. It's a mess. But it's a wild story and we had a blast recording this one. Happy Halloween, friends! Facebook | Twitter | ...
Oct 30, 2024•2 hr 26 min
Let them fight... about the 2014 reboot of Godzilla! Nah, not really. We're all pretty positive about this inaugural entry in the Monsterverse franchise. We discuss the unusual origins of the project and its decade-long journey to the big screen, director Gareth Edwards' less is more approach to the material, some of the most common complaints fans have about it, how it compares to subsequent entries, and much more! Facebook | Twitter | Instagram Apple Podcasts | Stitcher | Google Play | Spotify...
Oct 16, 2024•1 hr 35 min
You're so cool, Brewster. We can't stand it! Join us as we investigate one of the most impressive and underrated horror films of the 80s. This week, it's Fright Night … for real! Topics include: how each of us was introduced to this film, getting old enough to realize just how horny every single scene is, whether or not we agree with its classification as a horror/comedy, the tight-knit cast and how close they remain to this day, practical effects that rival the other heavy-hitters from this era...
Aug 07, 2024•1 hr 53 min
It's our 100th episode! We knew we needed a truly head-spinning rogue to mark the occasion, so we decided to investigate what many consider to be the scariest movie ever made: The Exorcist . Topics include: the real-life case that inspired the novel, how a last-minute appearance on a late-night talk show changed the book's fate, the long road to finding the right director for the film adaptation, the controversial tactics that were used to get more authentic performances from these actors, why s...
Jul 24, 2024•2 hr 46 min
It may be imperative for the characters in this movie to stay silent, but we sure have a lot to say about A Quiet Place . Topics include: the incredible first trailer, the substantially different original script, the alterations and contributions John Krasinski made after signing on to direct, some of the most pervasive nitpicks with the premise and these creatures, various interpretations of what the film symbolizes, its expansion into a wider franchise, and much more! Facebook | Twitter | Inst...
Jul 10, 2024•1 hr 52 min
It's been a long time coming and now we're finally taking on the Deadites from the Evil Dead franchise and exploring the series' most significant entry - Evil Dead 2 ! Topics include: the initial plans for Army of Darkness to be the first sequel, why it was scaled back into more of a remix of the original film instead, the massive shift in tone, our favorite sequences, how they pulled off some of the most memorable effects, where this one ranks for us amongst the other entries, and much more! Fa...
Jun 26, 2024•1 hr 52 min
They came from Denton High! Join us as we seek refuge inside that spooky castle back down the road and investigate the cult phenomenon The Rocky Horror Picture Show . Facebook | Twitter | Instagram Apple Podcasts | Stitcher | Google Play | Spotify Chris's Instagram & Twitter | Kristen's Instagram Chris & Kristen's Web Series: The Strange Case of Lucy Chandler...
Jun 12, 2024•2 hr 1 min
Well, here it is. The film many consider to be the nadir of the Elm Street franchise, Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare . It's definitely bizarre, but is this much-maligned entry really the worst one? Let's find out! Topics include: why the studio decided to kill their golden goose, the alternate universe where Peter Jackson directed a pretty interesting version of this movie, the inspirations for the controversial shift in tone, the lack of connection with previous films, its box office succes...
May 29, 2024•1 hr 47 min
"Pod away from her you cast!" Okay, well that doesn't really work. But this movie sure does! 45 years later and James Cameron's Aliens is still very high on the list of greatest sequels ever made. Join us as we strap in for an express elevator ride to hell and discuss why it's anything but Game Over for this action/horror classic. Topics include: why it took seven years for this follow-up to materialize, key differences between Cameron's original treatment and the shooting script, the additional...
May 15, 2024•2 hr 25 min
Greetings, programs! We're digitizing ourselves and entering ENCOM's mainframe to revisit the seminal sci-fi/action film Tron. Although the film pioneered some truly incredible visual effects technology, it wasn't the overwhelming box office success Disney had been hoping for. Still, Tron developed a cult following and became an enormous influence on the next generation of forward-looking artists, musicians, and filmmakers. Topics include: why the original screenwriter feels the finished product...
May 01, 2024•1 hr 50 min
We can't live without you... and we won't let you live without us! This week, we're revisiting Sleeping With The Enemy starring Julia Roberts and Patrick Bergin. It may not be as well-remembered as some of Roberts' other films from this era, but back in 1991, this modestly budgeted thriller about a young woman on the run from the ultimate husband-from-hell scored big at the box office. Like, really really big. Ten times its budget big. It deserves a lot of credit for attempting to approach subje...
Apr 17, 2024•1 hr 35 min
Heart of Ice has become the signature episode of Batman: The Animated Series, but it's just the tip of the iceberg (see what we did there?) We're using this bold reinvention of Mr. Freeze as a jumping-off point to talk about the history of this seminal show and why it remains our favorite adaptation of the Caped Crusader and his rogues. Topics include: Freeze's Silver Age origins (where he was known as Mr. Zero), his handful of appearances on the 60s Batman show, the perception of him prior to B...
Apr 03, 2024•2 hr 5 min
