Nature Trail to Hell

Purging? Forever? What does that even mean? All crime is always legal? What even is crime anymore? Jordan and Stefan watch the oh-so-subtle "Forever Purge" from 2021 and debate the future of the franchise.

Oh boy, let's find out how the Purge began! In this episode, Jordan and Stefan watch "The First Purge," which apparently was an indignity forced upon Staten Island. Hasn't Staten Island suffered enough? 

The Purge series goes political! I mean, more political than usual. Jordan D. White and Stefan Lawrence watch the 3rd installment of the Purge Series, released in July of 2016 with the slogan "Keep America Great." Yes, the last movie improved on the first one. Will this movie continue the trend? 

Now this is Purging! Jordan and Stefan watch the second film in the series, The Purge: Anarchy, from 2014. No more being stuck inside a house! This time we get down and dirty ON THE STREETS. Stay safe.

It's time for a whole new season of the increasingly inaccurately named Nature Trail to Hell, in which we explore The Purge series! What happens when ALL CRIME IS LEGAL one night a year? Jordan D. White knows and Stefan Lawrence is about to find out. In this episode, we check out the very first Purge movie from the innocent beforetimes of 2013.

Jordan and Stefan watch Ti West's 2022 film, X, which owes quite a bit to the original The Texas Chain Saw Massacre from 1974. Instead of an old Leatherface stomping around Texas like we saw in 2022, we now just have...old people. But don't worry, old people can do the murder just as good as the youngs. 

Rounding out our Texas Chainsaw Massacre series, Stefan and Jordan will be watching two films inspired by them. The first is Rob Zombie's lurid technicolor nightmare, House of 1000 Corpses. Maybe, just maybe, we'll be able to spot Mr. Zombie's inspirations buried deep in the subtext of the film.

Jordan and Stefan reach the end of the road with 2022's reboot, Texas Chainsaw Massacre (not the missing definite article – that's how you know it's cool). We can finally answer all the questions, such as how old is Leatherface? Is this series even about cannibalism? And can you call it Texas Chainsaw Massacre if it insists on being filmed in Bulgaria? FIND OUT.

Jordan and Stefan watch ANOTHER origin story for Leatherface – Leatherface from 2017! Wanna know how Leatherface got those scars? Wanna watch Stephen Dorff perform some extremely questionable policework? Wanna watch Bulgaria convincingly stand in for Texas? Yeah, you do. 

Ah heck, let's just reboot this series again! This week, Jordan and Stefan are watching Texas Chainsaw 3D, the 2013 reboot that's a direct sequel to the original film. Wait, does this one actually attempt a new plot? WEIRD.

Stefan and Jordan watch the Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning, the 2nd film in the newly rebooted franchise. In this 2006 film, we learn the origin of Hoyt's missing teeth and maybe, just maybe, why Leatherface loves chainsaws so much. 

Jordan and Stefan have reached the end of the original run of the series, and begin the reboot era with this 2003 remake, now produced by Michael Bay's Platinum Dunes. Are we ready for a new, glossier take on Leatherface? Are they cannibals this time? Is saw still family? Are they even called the Sawyers? Let's find out.

This week Jordan and Stefan boldly go into the weird death spiral hinterlands of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre – the last movie before the series gets rebooted in 2003. This one, starring Matthew McConnaughey (!) & Renee Zellweger (!!), was filmed in 1994, showed at SXSW and released in 1995, and then finally limped to theaters in 1997. WHAT IS EVEN GOING ON? It's also better than part 3.

Leatherface is back! Jordan and Stefan watch the third installment in the Texas Chainsaw franchise. Where will this series go after the gonzo second installment...and didn't Leatherface get a giant chainsaw up the gut in the last one? What is even happening?

In which Jordan and Stefan delve deeper into the world of Texas cannibals in this sequel from 1986 – 12 years after the first film. This time it stars Dennis Hopper! And a guy who eats part of his own head! Oh, and it's directed by Tobe Hooper. 

In the premiere episode of Season 2 of Nature Trail to Hell, Stefan & Jordan watch the original Texas Chain Saw Massacre movie from 1974. Stefan is EXTREMELY wary of watching it (for good reason) while Jordan is suspiciously gleeful of his trepidation. Does this horror classic live up to its infamous reputation, or has its impact been dulled by time? Find out as we start a whole new binge watch.

In this last bonus episode, Jordan and Stefan watch 13 Fanboy, the crowdfunded indie film starring multiple former Friday the 13th actors playing themselves – and Dee Wallace for some reason. While not a Jason movie, it features a killer who's stalking (and murdering) former actresses from the films. Also Corey Feldman is there as a creepy movie producer. 

Jordan and Stefan watch the theoretically related comedy spoof 1981 Saturday the 14th and are in for a vicious bait-and-switch as it becomes quickly apparent that it has NOTHING  to do with Jason or even slasher movies at all. WHOOPS. 

THE REAL FINAL CHAPTER? Jordan and Stefan watch the Friday the 13th reboot/remake from 2009, the one that attempts to make sense of the convoluted Jason mythology so far. Does it do its job? Also: we wrap up this run of the podcast and look ahead to what's next.

This is it – the final movie of the original run of Friday the 13th/Jason movies before the 2009 reboot, and the long-awaited, long-gestating showdown between New Line's two iconic horror villains. What could this movie possibly be about? Why would Freddy fight Jason? What's the deal with the afterlife in this world, anyway? Find out.

Evil gets an upgrade, so they say, but does sending Jason into space change the trajectory of the Friday the 13th franchise? Wait, why is Jason in space? Stefan and Jordan may have very different opinions on this one.

It's the beginning of the New Line era for Jason! And also the start of an incredibly confusing new mythology about bloodlines, demon babies, and contagious Jason-ness. Wait, why do we watch these movies again? This is a weird one.

At last, Stefan and Jordan reach the end of the classic Paramount run of films where Jason (sorta) takes Manhattan. Is the film that makes the least sense in the entire series? Why is there so much boat? And what DOES happen to Toby at the end? Join us to receive almost no definitive answers to these questions.

The one where the blood is new! The Tommy Jarvis saga has come to an end, so it's time for a new protagonist – one with PSYCHIC POWERS. In this episode, Stefan Lawrence and Jordan White watch the 7th movie in the Jason Voorhees saga and discuss whether this movie series is trending in the right direction.

In which Stefan and Jordan watch Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives, which very much has the real Jason in it (thank goodness). It also has the continuing story of Tommy Jarvis, who looks nothing like a grownup Corey Feldman. Is it good? Is it great? Is it the Mission Impossible: Fallout of the series? LET'S FIND OUT.