We're taking a week of, so enjoy this clip from our recent patreon page. Mike, Nichole, Stephen and Brian put together their picks for an all night horror movie marathon. If you want this and almost fifty hours more of bonus content, become a patron today: patreon.com/podandthependulum
Happy Halloween all. This week, we take a look at the latest entry in the Saw canon, the surprise hit of the fall, Saw X. The rare entry that's approved by both fans AND critics, this one finds Jigsaw seeking out surgery as a cure for his cancer, only to find out he's been grifted. I'm sure he'll take it all in stride. Mike, Ari, Brian and Nichole talk the shifting timeline, the back to basics approach, the traps, Kramer getting a true foil, the actual emotional arc of X, and the maybe queasy op...
This wee we're tackling what might be one of the most controversial titles we've covered to date: 2021's Spiral From The Book Of Saw. Just what does a SAW movie look like without its main man Jigsaw? Does Chris Rock try to bring too much of the funny to his role of a police detective on the hunt for the Kramer copycat killer? Did the world need a movie where we're supposed to at least sort of root for the cops in 2021, coming off of Black Lives Protests and the renewed scrutiny and concerns arou...
Mike and Ariel actually got to meet in person at this past weekend's Telluride Horror Show, and to celebrate we snagged some coffee and breakfast burritos while taking in the mountain air and discussed what we loved at the festival. We keep it spoiler free while discussing Suitable Flesh, Hell House LLC 4 Origins: The Carmichael Manor; Sleep; I Will Never Leave You Alone, You'll Never Find Me, Late Night With the Devil, Vincent Must Die, Frogman, and more. We also pause the show to admire a very...
After a seven year hiatus Jigsaw made a return to theaters with, um, "Jigsaw." This week Mike, Ari, and Nichole discuss whether the Spierig's attempt at going back to basics and eschewing the more over the top gore and torture elements of the franchise worked in drawing new and returning fans back to the series. We also discuss the nature of John's early game, whether these traps were simpler and more winnable, and if John being in an early stage of his cancer made this so. We talk about the ser...
This week we are back with a not so final chapter of Saw 3D. We are here to find out how the story of John Kramer, Amanda, and John's large adult son Detective Hoffman wraps up once and for all. We enter the 3rd Dimension to do so and we get even more of cops being stupid the movie, more gore, and the first public display of Jigsaw's talents with one of the most ludicrous and over the top traps the franchise has ever gifted us. We also discuss the Intriguing premise of John punishing someone for...
This week our SAW VI episode talks about the turn towards social issues, and how this could be subtitled “Occupy Jigsaw” as predatory lenders and insurance companies get put to the test. The discussion gets emotional as we share our own personal experiences within the hellscape that is the American healthcare system. We also talk about the ways that Hoffman is like 1980s Ric Flair, dive into the sibling rivalry between Amanda and Hoffman as they vie for the position of John's favorite acolyte, a...
In this clip from our latest patreon exclusive episode, Mike and Rachel talk the origins of the Charles Bronson classic Hollywood exploitation film Death Wish. To unlock this nearly two hour episode along with dozens of more hours of content, go to patreon.com/podandthependulum and become a supporter today.
After the dramatic reveal at the end of SAW IV, it’s now Detective Hoffman’s world and we’re just living in it. Mike, Ari, Nichole and DeVaughn are joined again by Kat Hughes of Ghouls Magazine to talk abut the midpoint in the SAW franchise. The fifth entry is typically where things go off the rails (Roy the ambulance driver, the Man in Black, demon baby Freddy) for franchises, will SAW V fall into the same “trap”? We’re taking about how Hoffman runs a game as opposed to Jigsaw, and the wary rel...
Mike, Ari, Rachel & Nichole are joined by Alison (Who's There? A Podcast About Horror Fans) for our fourth trip to Saw City (three more punches of our frequent travel card and I think we get a medium sized grape flavored Slurpee). This time we talk about the definitive death of Jigsaw and whether the flashback structure benefits the experience or just gives Tobin Bell a nice payday. We talk about the mystery box nature of this entry as it bridges the first trio of films with a follow-up tril...
This week we cover the controversial SAW 3, and friends, this episode goes to some places. From Jigsaw slash fiction to what Mr. Rogers and Mr. Kramer have in common, we promise you there isn't another show that covers this movie like we do. Mike, Nichole, DeVaughn, & Ari are joined by longtime listener and patron Lucy to talk about the above, plus, what we think about this round of traps, whether the creative team would come to regret definitively killing off their villains, and the parent ...
We're back to play another game. This week Mike, Devaughn and Ariel are joined by Kat Hughes (Ghouls Magazine) to talk about the return of Billy the Puppet. Coming just one year after the surprising success of SAW, its sequel up the traps, ups the carnage, ups the victims, ups the gore, and ups what we learn about ya boi Jigsaw. All these are good things! Unfortunately it also ups the Wahlberg, giving us a former New Kid on the Block in the "corrupt cop/pissed off divorced dad" in its central ro...
This week we kick off a new franchise and dig into one of the most divisive yet successful series of the past 20 years. We kick off our SAW coverage with James Wan and Leigh Whanell’s debut effort and we discuss the merits of this movie and why it gets harshly judged on what it wrought in the aftermath of its success. We talk about the struggle it took to bring this low budget thriller to the big screen, and how it almost wound u on the dustbin of the direct to DVD pipeline before being rescued ...
This week Mike is joined by old podcasting pal Jennferatu (The Losers Club, Girls On the Boys, Psychoanalysis, Dread Central, Bloody Disgusting) to talk about the twin headed beast that is slaying all at the box-office right now: Bsrbie and Oppenheimer. Along with speculating why these two movies are more connected than they appear on the surface, and why they're resonating with audiences at the moment, we talk about the themes of masculinity and patriarchy as portrayed in each movie. We discuss...
Horror fans are a forgiving bunch, and its rare that a movie's reputation is so bad that it sours viewers forever, and effectively kills the franchise. Jaws The Revenge is that special exception-the critical and commercial bomb that serves as the death knell for the Jaws series. This week Mike and Devaughn are joined by Shawn Murphy (Men Who Like Men Who Like Movies) have a lively debate on this one, and we think it's far more entertaining than watching the movie itself. From the logistics of sh...
This week Mike is joined by Sarah Stubbs (Geeks Who Eat, Final Girls Feast) to talk about Jaws 3. We talk about the spoof movie that could have been, the prominent role cocaine played in this movie, not-so special effects, the Oscar curse, the logistics of a shark entering a landlocked city and so much more. Enter the third dimension of...something.
Just when we’re thinking it's safe to go back in the waters, there’s another monster episode ready to swallow us whole. Mike, Rachel and Brian are joined by Trace Thurman of the Horror Queers podcast for a deep dive into what might be the second greatest shark movie of all time. We talk about the troubled history behind getting this movie off the ground, fist fights between directors and leading men, the slasher elements that rear their head throughout the movie and the shift of focus onto the t...
With just over half of 2023 in the books, Mike, Ariel and Rachel take a look at the year so far. We talk about the reemergence of fun horror, our hopes that trauma horror takes a breather, the indies that have surprised us, & what we look forward to in the second half of the year. We also discuss whether it's been another banner year or the genre, or a bit of a let down given the highs of 2022.
This week we dip our toes into a discussion of one of the most beloved blockbuster and scary movies of all time. Just in time to celebrate its 48th anniversary (celebrating 50 is for suckers) Mike, Ariel and guest Clayton Jones (from the Men Who Like Men Who Like Movies podcast) are talkin' sharkin', talkin' working for a living, and if that's the case then we're talking about JAWS. A big movie deserves a big episode, and we go extra deep this week to talk about all the headaches and behind the ...
Our look back at the works of John Carpenter wraps up with 1987's PRINCE OF DARKNESS. Mike, Stephen & Devaughn discuss whether the melding of religion and theoretical physics works. As the middle chapter in Carpenter's loose "apocalypse trilogy" we talk the eerie vibes this ones gives off, Carpenter's desire to go back to his indie roots after being burned by studio filmmaking, the queer undertones characters like Walter give off and why this one is often overlooked when people discuss the M...
John Carpenter June continues with his take on the classic ghost story, 1980's THE FOG. Mike and Stephen take about why this one feels a bit underappreciated, the beauty and the horror contained within Antonio Bay, the chemistry between Tom Atkins and Jaime Lee Curtis, and start our appreciation society for the lovely and badass Adrienne Barbeau. We had a lot of fun with this one, and it's a loose discussion we think you're gonna love.
This month we're celebrating the Master of Horror as we talk about three of his most iconic films. Up first, the 1981 post-apocalyptic science fiction, action, thriller Escape From New York. Mike, Stephen, Devaughn and Rachel talk all things Snake Plissken and why Carpenter's troupe still holds up today. Coming of the success of Halloween, Escape sits in the middle of an unprecedented run of genre masterpieces, and it gave Kurt Russell the chance to get out from under Disney's thumb and become o...
Mike and Devaughn are here to debate the final chapter in the Hell House LLC trilogy. Like Russell Winn and Andrew Tully, your hosts find themselves on opposing ideological lines as we break down the strengths and the flaws of this found footage picture.
Mike and Rachel discuss Hell House 2. The middle chapter of a trilogy can always be tough, especially after a strong first act. We talk about some of the limitations of this one while also trying to highlight some reasons why you might want to make a return to the Abaddon.
The Abaddon hotel...you can check in but you can never leave. We're back with a new franchise, kicking things off with one of the best found footage movies of the past decade: HELL HOUSE LLC. Mike and Nichole are joined by the fantastic Mary Beth McAndrews (Dread Central editor in chief, Scarred For Life podcast cohost) who just might love found footage movies more than anyone on the planet. We talk about what sets a good pseudo-documentary from the poor, have a lively discussion on the fuck boy...
All right you titty sucking parasites, our latest episode closes the chapter on the Book of the Evil Dead for now. We're joined by guest Matt Donato (IGN, Ceritifed Forgotten) to talk about the move on up from a cabin in the woods to a high rise apartment in LA, how the family dynamics make this latest installment special, plus what the actual hell happened at the SXSW Q&A? All that and more this week.
This week Mike and Ari talk The Collection, which offers less torture and more of an escape room /haunted house vibe this time around. We talk our favorite over the top set pieces; why Arkin makes for such a great returning hero; ponder the logistics of securing the real estate, equipment & manpower to set up these complex traps and murder devices. Plus, for your consideration-a third movie in this series might be more important than a cure for cancer.
This week we make our first foray into the 2000s genre of "Torture Porn" with our look back at 2009's The Collector. Starting as a potential SAW prequel, this one combines the heist genre with Rube Goldberg inspired traps and torture devices for a bloody good time. We look at the film's conflicted anti-hero and silent but deadly villain, explore the history of the torture porn subgenre and look at where horror was when this made its debut. Plus, we ask what differentiates torture porn from its f...
This week we have TWO shows wrapped up in one. First, Mike and Rachel break down the two seasons of The Purge TV show, which ran on the USA Network in 2018 and 2019. The series offers a fascinating deeper view into Purge events, especially the standout second season which mostly shows the build up in between Purges, and serves as a great lead in for Election Year. After that, Mike, Nichole and Ari deliver the crews series rankings. Which entry will come out on top, and which ones will be left sp...
This week Mike and Devaughn wrap up their coverage of The Purge movies with the entry that asks, "What happens when purgers decide one night of murder is no longer enough?" We explore the socio-political themes that permeate the movie, as well as the very real world policies this one takes square aim at. Fear not, we're not here to lecture as we talk about the continued action / horror dynamics and exploitation roots of the last, for now, Purge films.
