Imported Horror

Guillermo del Toro didn't write or direct this movie. Neither did J.M. Barrie. But, their legacies cast long shadows over the haunting story of worried mother Laura, her lost son Simon and all his imaginary friends on the windswept northern coast of Spain. Also, would you rather see Tommy Wiseau star alongside a kaiju or the pale man from Pan's Labyrinth?  Motion Picture Terror Scale: 3 (Marcus &...

You've seen the Cage-y memes about horrifying bees. Have you seen the haunting British original? This week, the gang get cozy with earthy sexuality and casual religious persecution in an overlooked horror classic. They also explore the one thing the awful remake gets right - the other  bee scene - and consider which vintage slasher would be best portrayed by Nic Cage. 1973 version: Motion Picture...

If you could talk to corpses, what would you say? Stenio works the graveyard shift at a busy morgue and chats with every body that rolls in - until one tells him about his wife's affair. Marcus, Melissa and Grady autopsy a grim flick that starts strong but wanders too far from its compelling premise. Also, would you rather talk to incorporeal ghosts or physical corpses? Motion Picture Terror Scale...

Life is surreal. So is this movie - it's got schoolgirls, killer winds, carnage, an alligator and a creepy pig monster. It sets out to criticize the fetishization of high school girls, but does it become the thing it's trying to satirize? Marcus, Melissa and Grady explore the topic and consider what sea monster they'd rather encounter in the North Atlantic with Tom Hanks. Motion Picture Terror Sca...

Haunted mansion? Check. Horrifying monster? Check. Spectacular soundtrack? Double check. This week, Marcus and Melissa dial back the clock to explore greed and ghoulish historical fantasy in India. Also, would you rather summon Bloody Mary or watch the tape from Ringu? Motion Picture Terror Scale: 3. Quality: 4 (Marcus) / 4- (Melissa). Enjoyment: 4- (Marcus) / 4 (Melissa) Articles mentioned in thi...

There's a lunatic in the woods terrorizing innocent but very clumsy victims - but is it the redneck in overalls, or the college kid with the popped collar? This week, get cabin fever as slasher tropes get shredded in this refreshing horror comedy. Also, which fictional Mississippi native would you rather have fighting a megashark over the Fourth of July? Motion Picture Terror Scale: 1. Quality: 5....

What do you get when you mix an eclipse, a teenage girl, a Ouija board and a blind nun named Sister Death? Turn around, fright eyes, for a novel possession flick drenched in 90's nostalgia. Also, if you were possessed, what famous exorcist would you rather attempt to save you? Motion Picture Terror Scale: 3 (Marcus) / 2+ (Melissa). Quality: 5/4+ Enjoyment: 5/4+ Articles mentioned in this episode:...

Sometimes, fear is quiet. It lurks in anxiety and expectations, hiding among old souls and deafening silence. Bram Stoker gave vampires a dashing legacy but the freshest take on the genre in years explores the subtle horrors and sorrows of an undead child. Marcus and Melissa discuss the history of bloodsuckers and debate undertones present in the Swedish original but removed from the British/Ameri...

If a sneaky little girl wearing red stalked you in the woods, would you notice? What if she climbed up your walls? Marcus and Melissa explore urban legends and murky narratives in one of Taiwan's first major horror flicks. Also, what would you rather see make an appearance in What We Do In The Shadows - gargoyles, talking cats or sirens? Motion Picture Terror Scale: 3 (Marcus) / 4 (Melissa). Quali...

It's part goblin, part monster, part phantom and part delusion. It likes to eat children's toes. The tokoloshe is all those things and more - breadth that leads to intriguing mythology but confusing films. Also, what musician would you rather see star in a horror movie? Motion Picture Terror Scale: 2 - . Quality: 2 (Marcus) / 3 (Melissa). Enjoyment: 2 / 3 Articles mentioned in this episode: " Toko...

We've all seen zombie films - somebody gets bitten, there's screaming, they turn bad and then there's more screaming. What if a bite weren't enough? What if you had to be rejected from the underworld to return, dead, to the land of the living? Or what if you were immune? Marcus and Melissa explore two novel indigenous approaches to zombie horror. They share a commitment to authentic representation...

American horror often brings nightmares to Anytown or Mayberry - idyllic hamlets besieged by horrors. What happens when terrors come to slums already engulfed by cartel violence? Would the Losers Club be losers if they were homeless? This week, Marcus and Melissa explore a unique blend of Stephen King, Guillermo del Toro and Niel Gaiman.  Also, which of Jerry Stiller's real and fictional kids woul...

Teenagers in the woods with a psycho killer. You've seen this movie before, right? Are you sure? Marcus and Melissa dive into the murky depths of Lake Bodom, a twisted slasher film born from Finland's most notorious unsolved murder mystery. They also explore overlap between true crime and horror and challenge the monstrous "murder hornet." Motion Picture Terror Scale: 3 (Marcus), 2+ (Melissa). Qua...

Not every vampire is suave and sophisticated. Some hop and lurch, clumsily thirsting for violence - or awkward romance. Marcus and Melissa explore two modern revivals of Hong Kong's "hopping vampires," campy horror-comedy monsters from the 1980s with roots in Chinese legends. They also liken coronavirus safety to an especially grim 1990s sitcom and a carnivorous Would You Rather. Rigor Mortis Moti...

A man wakes up in a morgue. Before long, he's running down a dark hallway - fleeing a ruthless killer that gleefully hits every 80s slasher trope he can find. Marcus and Melissa also celebrate the triumphant return of What We Do In The Shadows and debate which mythological Asian creatures would be most helpful in a zombie outbreak. What We Do In the Shadows: Motion Picture Terror Scale: 0. Quality...

Are the people you know really the people you know? In the rustic Irish countryside, a young single mother struggles with a son who might be a fiendish impostor. Marcus and Melissa explore the lore and film history of creepy kids before diving into the trippy and claustrophobic Hole in the Ground. Also, which Matt Groening series would you rather see converted to a horror movie? Motion Picture Ter...

One street - three terrors. Marcus and Melissa stroll southward to a haunted block in Buenos Aires, where separate paranormal narratives weave tautly together in horrifying, unexpected ways. Also, as long as we're social distancing, would you rather be stalked by an invisible monster during the day or a visible monster at night? And would it get bored staying at home all the time? Motion Picture T...

None of the zombie movies we saw prepared us for toilet paper shortages. That hasn't stopped a horde of zombie references in the middle of a pandemic, though. Marcus and Melissa explore three new and innovative takes on the zombie genre - a 15th century soap opera and zombie blend from South Korea, a dude bro zomcom from India and a heart-wrenching zombie drama from Australia. They also pay respec...

Horrifying movies are the best distraction from a terrifying pandemic - especially original and innovative international horror. Marcus and Melissa discuss the early launch of Season Two and what's in store for the podcast.

Scary bears, creepy kids and a whole world of zombies - Marcus and Melissa covered a lot of ground in Season One. They look back on what worked well and consider what needs improvement before Season Two. Imported Horror will return. New episodes launch on - or before - June 4, 2020.

Tentacled alien sea monsters swarm across the Irish coast with a thirst for human blood. There's just one problem - they're allergic to alcohol, and to anyone drunk enough to fight them. Marcus and Melissa discover that scotch mixes well with this warm 80s-style creature feature. Also, what horror characters would you rather have on a monster slaying dream team? Motion Picture Terror Scale: 1. Qua...

Marcus and Melissa nearly spoiled some key details in their full episode on Babak Anvari's "Under the Shadow." They dive in on this spoilercast. Spoilercasts are short bonus episodes that break down spoilers and endings for movies and television shows covered in previous episodes. We recommend you listen to the previous full episode  before  listening to this spoilercast.

American horror films often inject terror into ordinary suburbs and quiet forest cabins. Babak Anvari skipped that trope. Instead, he resurrected his childhood terrors from the Iran/Iraq War, when civilians were indiscriminately targeted by missiles, and added a sinister djinn to one family's nightmares. The result is a frightening and deeply authentic film. Also - what foreign horror role should...

Eerie's ghost story ended with surprisingly strong feels. Its second half also included a strange detail that Melissa cannot let go. Our hosts break down the ending and plot progression of the spooky tale. Spoilercasts are short bonus episodes that break down spoilers and endings for movies and television shows covered in previous episodes. We recommend you listen to the previous full episode  bef...

If you could speak with the spirits haunting a girl's Catholic school, what would you say? Mikhail Red's Eerie is a chilling jump scare-fest that seamlessly blends Latin and Asian horror tropes with spooky stories about ghosts, nuns, religion and mental illness. Also - what politicians would you cast for a Blair Witch-style film, and do ghosts really just want personal favors? Motion Picture Terro...