Horror Movie Franchises

In this episode we explore "The Creature from the Black Lagoon" trilogy: production details, plot summaries, critical reception, and the actors and designers behind Gillman. The original 1954 movie holds up surprisingly well (even if we cant see it in 3D). The straightforward plot allows little time for filler (and that's where most movies lose me). The underwater photography is beautiful. I highl...

This episode covers the "Silent Night, Deadly Night" franchise. From it's 1984 start (apparently Killer Santas were controversial back in the day). through four stand alone movies (most of which have very little to do with Christmas) to two reboots. And dont forget the second entry--which is often touted as one of the worst movies ever. Besides it's horrible over the top acting, it's "Garbage...

This week we're covering the obscure "Carnosaur" franchise. It consists of a trilogy and 2 spinoffs. These movies that were produced by Roger Corman (known as "The King of B Movies"). Due to budget constraints, they kept using the same two dinos and the same scenes from the first movie over and over again.  The plots are all over the place and dont make any sense. The first movie has a geneti...

It's that time again. 2025 marks a pivotal year for horror. Horror movies made some $1.2 billion in domestic box office (passing the previous record in 2017). "The Conjuring: Last Rites" has made $494 million thus far. The "Conjuring" universe is the highest grossing franchise EVER (raking in $2.3 billion globally). "Sinners" is in second place with $367 million. "Final Destination: Bloodlines" is...

This episode dives into the obscure "Boggy Creek" franchise. The 1972 low budget faux documentary "The Legend Of Boggy Creek" and 1985's "Boggy Creek 2: The Legend Continues" are the only two films by Charles B Pierce Sr. The other three movies by this name are unrelated. The "Legend Of Boggy Creek" is considered the grandaddy of the found footage horror subgenre. The movie's title card says its a...

In this episode we delve into the "Toxic Avenger" franchise. There are five movies-- including this year's reboot starring Peter Dinklage ("Game of Thrones"), Kevin Bacon, Elijah Woods and a host of other famous faces.  Toxic Avenger (affectionately known as "Toxie") is the brain child of Lloyd Kaufman. His company, Troma Entertainment, is the longest running independent film studio in existe...

This episode of Horror Movie Franchises takes a deep dive into the "Witchboard" series — from the 1986 original, through two sequels, to the recent reboot. Movie plots, trivia, and how each film handles spirit boards and possession are covered.  If you watch just one movie, make it the original. It has since become a cult classic largely due to Twaney Katean (as Linda) and the bromance...

Ty West's "X" trilogy includes "X", it's prequel "Pearl", and it's sequel "MaXXXine". Each movie follows a different cinematic style: X is a tribute to 1970's slashers such as "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" Pearl is a Technicolor extravaganza. Such films were popular in the 1930s thru 50s. Think "The Wizard of Oz". These movies had big sets, big scores and were filled with vibrant colors. MaXXXine is a...

This episode covers the little known "The Prophecy" franchise. It's a five film series about a millennia-long war among angels. The first three movies star Christopher Walken. The last two were filmed back to back in Romania (and are really the same story).  The first film was released theatrically in 1995 and has since become a cult classic. The other four were direct to video and have, for...

This episode surveys the vast screen history of Robert Louis Stevenson’s 1886 novella "Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde". There are some 120+ films ranging from the silent era through present day. Recurring themes include: the duality of man, the struggle between good and evil, civilized vs primitive, sexual repression, the constraints of society, etc.  These films are hard to di...

This week we're doing something slightly different. We're talking about "wax museum" movies. "Wax museum" films are an interesting subgenre of horror. If you're like me, you have a hard time keeping track of which movie is which due to all the similar plots and titles. This is my attempt at sorting them out.  The first such movie is the 1914 French silent film "The Man with the Wax Faces". Next is...

This episode (which originally aired in 10/19) has been re-recorded. The newest movie has been added and it has been edited for time (including removing some of the trivia and the recipe).  This week we take a look at one of the largest but somewhat lesser known franchises. "HellRaiser" has 11 movies total as well and a number of related books, comic books, documentaries, short stories, etc....

This episode originally aired way back in 8/19. I have re-recorded to add the newest film entry as well as editing for time (including removing some trivia and the recipe).  This week we review the "Omen" franchise. There are five original films (the latest is 2024's "The First Omen"), a 2006 remake, a failed TV pilot and a TV series that ran for one season on A&E. The original "Omen" fro...

Last week we talked about the Spanish "Blind Dead" zombie franchise. This time we're diving into the Italian franchise "Zombi". This franchise is one of the most confusing due to it's differing titles. Back in the day some marketers, film studios, etc would title movies a sequel to a more popular film (in order to cash in on it's popularity). Also, to make it even more confusing, movies might be r...

In this episode we're reviewing a lesser known Spanish zombie franchise. It's the four moves of the "Blind Dead". They were all written and directed by Amando del Ossorio. Each was released under several different titles so it's a bit of a challenge to find them.  None of the stories are related except that each follows a group of zombies (Templar Knights that were killed for their devil wors...

In this week's episode of "Horror Movie Franchises", we delve into a lesser known franchise. "Warlock" has three movies total. They are considered horror/fantasy. If you're looking for scary movies, check elsewhere. These movies are each standalone stories. Their only common denominator is each features a warlock. Julian Sands stars in the first two. He has an excellent screen presence and really...

Welcome to the 124th episode of Horror Movie Franchises, formerly known as Food and Frightening Film Fanatics, where we provide commentary, analysis and critiques of horror movies.  In this episode, we explore the "Mimic" franchise. It consists of three films. The first was Guillermo del Toro's U.S. directorial debut. The other two movies went straight to home video. del Toro was not able to...

Welcome to the newly renamed podcast - Horror Movie Franchises! This fresh identity aligns perfectly with our core mission: To provide commentary, analysis and critiques of horror franchises.  While some older episodes may retain our former title, Food and Frightening Film Fanatics, we're excited to embark on this new chapter. Join us as we explore the depths of horror movies, sharing insight...

NOTE: This podcast was rebranded on 5/29/25 as "Horror Movie Franchises".  In this episode we're covering a lesser known franchise called "Trancers". It's a low budget sci-fi series about a grizzled retired cop who travels through time-- by jumping into his ancestor's bodies. He's in search of trancers (they're kinda like zombies who do their master's bidding).  There are six movies tota...

NOTE: This podcast was rebranded on 5/29/25 as "Horror Movie Franchises".  This week we delve into the “Feast” franchise, a lesser-known series of horror comedies that are sure to leave a lasting impression. Winning Project Greenlight's third season, the first movie was backed by Ben Affleck and Matt Damon. This franchise is a family affair with John Gulager as director, his fathe...

NOTE: This podcast was rebranded on 5/29/25 as "Horror Movie Franchises".  In this episode we'll delve into the "Carrie" franchise. The 1976 movie is most famous for two scenes: The shower scene and the prom scene. Odds are even if you havent seen the movie, you know about them. The movie garnered two Oscar nominations-- Best Actress for Sissy Spacek as Carrie and Best Supporting Actress for...

NOTE: This podcast was rebranded on 5/29/25 as "Horror Movie Franchises".  This week we're doing something slightly different. We're covering the longest running franchises in horror history. Sure everyone knows about "Halloween", "Friday The 13th" and "Children of the Corn" but there actually a # of horror franchises with MANY MORE entries. And, if you're like me, there are several here that you'...

NOTE: This podcast was rebranded on 5/29/25 as "Horror Movie Franchises".  This week we're talking about "The Bad Seed". There's the original 1956 movie, 2 made for TV movies (one from 1985 and one from 2018) and a sequel to the 2018 movie.  The original movie was nominated for 4 Oscars (for Nancy Kelly, Patty McCormack, Eileen Heckart and Best Cinematography). Eileen won a Golden Globe for her po...

NOTE: This podcast was rebranded on 5/29/25 as "Horror Movie Franchises".  This week we're discussing the "Nosferatu" franchise. It's a bit confusing because first time viewers are like "Isn't this Dracula?". And the answer is sorta. This vampire is a rat like creature who never blinks. He has long spindly fingers and two big teeth in the front of his mouth. He is the harbinger of death and bringe...

NOTE: This podcast was rebranded on 5/29/25 as "Horror Movie Franchises".  This week I'm doing something slightly different. This is an ADDENDUM episode. I'm covering new entries to previously reviewed franchises. With so many new horror movies coming out each year, it's a challenge to keep up. In just the last year we had five new entries to existing horror franchises-- "Alien", "Creep", "Terrifi...