Macabre Daily Podcast!

At the beginning of the month, we announced the launch of a new biometric entertainment platform that was going to measure how much a movie actually scares the viewer. It’s called ScareScore , and it’s a fascinating idea in a world that is obsessed with data and devices to help us understand our health, sleep, exercise, and more. Naturally, there’s good reason to be skeptical. Social media compani...

The increasing rise in interest in the horror genre has broken containment, and it’s fair to say that it’s finally getting both the critical and financial success it deserves. Hell, The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences just recently opened “The Horror Show,” an interactive museum hosting legendary props and materials from the genre’s history. The same Academy that has refused to recogni...

With October fully underway and September behind us, it’s time to reflect on just how awesome this year’s Fantastic Fest truly was. Every year, it feels like the fest can’t top itself, and then somehow it does. While we aren’t surprised as much as delighted, we covered a lot of ground this year both in-person and virtually, and it’s time that we talk about some of the films that really made this y...

For certain generations of horror fans, Full Moon is synonymous with a specific era. Namely, the early to mid-90s when the direct-to-video label blossomed to become a powerhouse at the video store that birthed iconic franchises like “Puppet Master,” “Subspecies,” “Demonic Toys,” “Trancers,” and the list goes on. Not everyone feels positively about Full Moon, but that hasn’t stopped the production...

It’s been a busy year at the Macabre Daily Podcast , and that’s a great thing! (Almost) Every month, we’ve been releasing two episodes featuring different folks across the horror genre and community, and as we head into peak festival season, Lowell and Matt figured it was time to do a quick check-in with each other. In “Just the Two of Us,” Lowell and Matt talk about what they’ve been watching and...

One of the best things about the folks here at Macabre Daily is that we alllll have very distinct tastes. If you need proof, just check out Steven’s recent Part 1 of 2 rankings of Wes Craven’s filmography to see how wild those takes can be. That often means that our internal chats are exciting and divisive, but there’s one thing that everyone who's seen “Blood Shine” agrees on: it’s one of the bes...

Back when Macabre Daily started in 2020, Lowell and I had a “wish list” of people that we would hope to talk to one day. While there are certainly some familiar names on there that would be on any person’s list, there were also some independent filmmakers who we have a deep respect for. One of them is Chelsea Stardust, whose work behind the camera and behind-the-scenes on the business side of film...

As noted in our recent review of the new survival horror slasher, “Pitfall,” camping can be a real drag, and that isn’t improved when you have a hulking survivalist hunting you and your friends in the woods. While most of us (thankfully) won’t have to experience this firsthand, the great thing about horror is that we can live these experiences vicariously through the characters in films, from the...

Macabre Daily has always been a champion of queer horror. We understand the power of the horror genre to offer catharsis and empowerment to marginalized communities, and we seek out opportunities to feature films that focus on the queer experience whenever we can. For Pride Month, we couldn’t simply rest on our laurels. We needed to find a way to step up our game, which is where Brian Finnerty, co...

There are a few things in this world that we can rely on: death, taxes, and, in the US, extremely high medical bills. None of these things is particularly enjoyable, but they are consistent. Consistency isn’t always a bad thing, as is the case with the new long-running documentary series, “In Search of Darkness,” which has tackled two of horror’s most dominant decades with the 1980s and 1990s. Man...

The number of genre-focused film festivals seems to be increasing year over year, or at the very least, the ones that exist are getting far more attention than ever before. This is a good problem to have in horror, especially when we are seeing the mainstreaming of the genre (again) thus being one of the best times to take a look at what the future of the genre will look. People like Ari Aster, Ja...

Legends never die, and they certainly don’t stop working. At least that’s the case for John Harrison, the writer/director/composer who has worked with some of the best in the genre while becoming great in his own right. Most folks probably will know John for the scores he contributed to two powerhouse genre films, “Creepshow” and “Day of the Dead,” which came from being First AD to George A. Romer...

It’s not easy to make a film, and much like a child, it can take a village to do so without driving oneself mad. The good news is that the broader film community, and notably the horror genre, has continued to embrace the works of independent creators both as a rejection of the mainstream and as a sign of hope for the future of the creative medium of film. While big studio productions are amazing...

We cover a variety of topics on the Macabre Daily podcast, but one we’ve never really tackled before was podcasting itself.  Today we’re lucky to be joined by Jordan Gass-Poore' , podcast producer and investigative journalist who’s currently working on the latest season of Tales From Beyond the Pale. Gass-Poore' talks about her transition from covering climate change to, well, fictional horror and...

One of the best things about being a horror fan these days is that we have not one, but multiple streaming services that cater to our darkest desires, and one of our favorites is  Screambox . They have been curating some great originals yanked from some of the best genre festivals, and even released some series, like  "The Trouble with Tessa"  ( read our review ). And if you aren't familiar with t...

Macabre Daily's Paper Cuts column has grown by leaps and bounds of the last 12 months, and has become a go-to source for reviews and interviews with some of the most exciting authors in the horror literature space. In an effort to increase the reach of these amazing discussions, Macabre Daily will be launching a special, PAPER CUTS PODCAST this month, and below is a preview of what's to come as ho...

We love our physical media over here at Macabre Daily.  Aside from the satisfaction of having our favorite discs on our shelves, we’re big fans of the commentaries, supplements, and even the bloopers that show up alongside the updated resolutions of some of our favorite horror films.  Today on the podcast, we’re lucky enough to speak to Chris MacGibbon, Production Coordinator at Red Shirt Pictures...

One of our favorite films from 2024 was “The Daemon,” which premiered at the UK’s FrightFest. Like so many genre films, the process of even making a film can be a miracle in itself, but to get it shown at film festivals is a whole other level of accolade that many aspiring filmmakers can only dream of. The thing is, that’s only half the proverbial battle. As any filmmaker who made it past the fest...

On this special episode of the Macabre Daily podcast Matt is joined by filmmaker Darren Lynn Bousman and actor Lauren LaVera in support of their latest film, "Twisted," from Republic Pictures. "Twisted" is available now on VOD on-demand, and you can check out the synopsis for the film below and links on where to rent/buy. We want to thank Darren and Lauren for being so gracious with their time as...

Giallo January may be over, but that doesn't mean the black gloves and straight-edge razors go away for good! Just like horror, we celebrate the Giallo all year round, and after our episode with Marc Gottlieb we put our Giallo picks to our resident novice, Lowell Greenblatt! In this episode, Lowell, Matt, and Macabre Daily's Sean O'Connor explore how these films resonate with someone whose knowled...

Nobody really knew what to expect after Danny Boyle passed the torch to Nia DaCosta for the second installment in the “comeback trilogy” to his seminal “28 Days Later.”  It’s still early in the year, but it’s safe to say DaCosta’s “28 Years Later: The Bone Temple” will be one of our favorites of 2026.  Who better to discuss it with than film journalist, Scottish expat, and drag king Samantha McLar...

Happy New Year from the Macabre Daily Podcast, and our first episode of 2026 is a real doozy as filmmaker Marc Gottlieb returns for another Giallo January episode! Matt is joined by Sean O'Connor as Lowell is away getting his black gloves resized, and they cover what a Giallo is, how it defies genre boundaries, and the relevance of the genre in our modern landscape. You can check out Marc's work o...

It's the end of the year, and you know what that means, best of lists! That's right, Lowell and Matt are wrapping up 2025 by selecting their Top 5 of the year, but they aren't doing it alone! Joined for this episode are a few of the staff at Macabre Daily to share their picks alongside Lowell and Matt! We get picks from Sean O'Connor, Brian Finnerty, Ryan Fitzmartin, and Steven Thomas, all of whom...

In this special episode of the Macabre Daily Podcast, Matt has a conversation with Author Grady Hendrix about Clive Barker's "The Books of Blood" volumes 1-3. Grady is a man who needs little introduction, but we're gonna give him one anyway!  Grady Hendrix is the author of some of the most original horror novels of the 21st century including "Horrorstör," "My Best Friend's Exorcism," "The Final Gi...

After a much needed hiatus, the Macabre Daily Podcast is back and this time Matt is riding solo on hosting duties and filmmaker Eric England joins to talk about the traits of great slashers! Eric is the creative behind films such as "Hostile Encounters," "Madison County," "Contracted," and "Josie" to name a few. Eric and Matt debate what goes into making a great slasher film, and more into Eric's...